Quite The Pair
by MoonbeamMadness
Summary: He came home to find her in his bed and he threw water on her. What the everliving fuck was wrong with him?
1. Chapter 1

Notes

While I'm finishing up on Between and drawing up the story plan for a much larger title I'm working on, I've been putting this little beast together. It's pretty fluffy, and somewhat mature. Gajeel has a very potty mouth and wandering hands.

This is my humorous take on the idea of Dragon Slayer mates. I warn you, some parts of this are pure crack.

* * *

Metalicana had warned him when he was younger that Dragon Slayers were a rare and somewhat unpredictable bunch of mages. The magic he'd passed him would manifest in a lot of unique ways, although some were pretty common among them all; they all seemed to end up with enhanced senses. Physical strength was one bonus. Endurance. A little odder were the enlarged canines, slit-like pupils. But the little things that couldn't be predicted were the odd personality traits. _Those_ ultimately depended on the individual. Gajeel for instance could have wound up far less personable than he was. Colder. Like the element he consumed. Metalicana told him that madness was always a distinct possibility as well. He was grateful that _that_ hadn't happened. _Yet_ , anyway. One look at Acnologia was all that was needed to understand how very wrong that could all go.

The short of it all, was that it was a variable pot luck of Dragon traits he might inherit. Anything and everything ranging from the useful to the bizarre. The more he practiced, the more Dragon stuff that would start to seep through. He knew all this and trained like a demon anyway. As much as the concept of turning into an actual Dragon might have worried the likes of Natsu or Wendy, it wasn't so terrifying a concept as to slow down his drive to become stronger. Dragons were incredibly powerful. He'd live with whatever happened. Let's put it that way.

Or that's what he figured anyway.

Some Dragon traits he could have done without.

"If you don't start trying to reign it in, Gajeel, you're going to start resembling _Juvia_ ," Pantherlily elbowed Gajeel sharply, forcing him to tear his eyes away from the script mage currently arguing with Freed over a book that had fallen into Makarov's possession and seemed to be up for grabs. Under normal circumstances there would have been a polite conversation and Levy would more than likely relinquish a claim on the item in favor of borrowing it at a later date. Not today, though. It appeared as though the green haired thundercunt had rolled out of bed on the wrong side that morning and whatever it was he'd said to the script mage, the bluenette was all but spewing flames. Gajeel found her sudden aggressiveness to be somewhat exhilarating; her small red cheeks puffing outward like some tiny animal trying to make itself bigger. That smouldering glare. _Oh the glare!_

The Dragon Slayer leaned a little further over the balcony. Getting a better view as Freed attempted to walk away, Levy being physically dragged with him; her small hands still clutching a corner of the book in question with a white-knuckle grip. Gajeel heard her yell "selfish prick" and almost choked on the laugh that had found itself lodged in his throat. People were silent and open mouthed as the usually rather sensible mediator, Levy McGarden, decided to assert her will with literal brute force and language foul enough that even Cana was sputtering her ale. It must have been the first time in Fairy Tail history. Even Gajeel would be willing to suggest that they maybe _share_ the damn thing at this stage.

"Ain't my fault Shorty is down there making a ruckus, Lily. Look around. _Everyone_ is staring at her," Gajeel smiled, wishing his partner would just drop it.

"But not everyone was staring at her before she started and will be staring long after she's stopped, Gajeel," Lily lowered his voice. " And with a stupid grin to top it off," The cat huffed, exasperated. "Would it not be better to just talk to her? Instead of _this_?" He waved his arms around. "Whatever this new form of stalking you've developed is."

The Dragon Slayer just scoffed. "It ain't stalking…"

"You're an idiot, Gajeel. I personally don't think I'm even _remotely_ qualified to understand why you find yourself attracted to the woman you continually insult, but an altogether better question would be why after all of that _she_ is attracted to _you_ ," Lily drawled and was momentarily taken aback with the look of confusion on Gajeel's face.

"Nahhhh…" Gajeel muttered but his face had paled. For all the secret yearnings and fantasies it never once occurred to him that the tiny script mage would ever reciprocate those _wildly_ inappropriate feelings of his.

"You didn't realise?" The man looked at the Exceed, silent. "The woman practically petitions you to go on jobs with her on a weekly basis," There was more silence. "She got so distracted she fell in a pothole last week because you took your _shirt_ off," Lily grew wary as Gajeel's face started drifting from one of confusion and disbelief, to outright horror.

"No way. You gotta be fucking kidding me?" He slammed his palm down on the table before snapping his head back toward the script mage just in time to see Freed disappear down a sinkhole that had appeared in the middle of the guild hall right under his feet. Levy left triumphant holding her prize and shouting "You don't even use this type of magic, anyway," into the hole as though it explained or justified any of this. Were once Gajeel's eyes would have wandered to the shape of her legs and the curve of her neck and shoulders, now they were examining her on a more critical level. The stance. The posture. The look of smugness on her face having beaten her foe. If was fucking true. _Holy shitsticks_.

Lily set aside his drink and moved Gajeel's out of the way, taking a seat directly in front of him on the table.

"Are you going to clue me in, or do I have try and guess what this new madness is about?" He asked. Gajeel didn't bother turning to him to reply. His words were cautious and more measured than usual.

"Lily, how have I seemed lately? Anything odd. Nicer? More rational. I'm looking for a word here…" Gajeel started twirling his hand as his mind searched for the term he was missing. "…diplomatic?"

Lily chuckled.

"You've started a total of five fights this week in the guild over _literally_ nothing, Gajeel. So, no. Although you're certainly a lot more verbally competent these days," The Exceed mocked.

"You mean eloquent," Gajeel absently muttered. Then caught himself. "It's fucking true then," The skin on his cheeks had started turning a funny shade of pink. Lily absently realised this was as close to a blush as he'd ever seen on the iron eater's face.

The Dragon Slayer took his drink and downed it before taking the Exceed's and doing the same. Lily's right eyebrow rose questioningly before its match joined it in scrunched up irritation.

"That was my drink, Gajeel. _Mine_. I would have thought being raised by a creature known for its deep philosophical and physical understanding of the concept of _possessions,_ you'd recognise what's yours and what isn't," Lily mocked him but the humour died in his eyes at the look of panic on the Dragon Slayer's face. "Did I…say something, Gajeel?"

The Dragon Slayer took a breath. The Exceed had struck a tender spot with that one. Gajeel was an idiot. _How the hell do I explain this?_

"Lily, you know how some couples start acting the fucking same after they start dating?" The Exceed's face was blank and Gajeel was nervous he wasn't going to be able to explain this right. "You know, before, you got two completely different people and then after you have this kinda _singular_ fucking entity?"

Gajeel knew that Lily was highly intelligent. Even more so than him. The Exceed of course knew what he was talking about.

"Oh _yes_ , I understand. And did you just use singular and entity in a sentence?" Gajeel growled and Lily dropped it with a smirk before forming a deep frown as he tried to work out why Gajeel would be bringing it up.

The Dragon Slayer spared another quick glance at Levy who as it turned out was also looking at him. There was a moment of supreme awkwardness as they both looked away sheepishly. Although, Lily noted an almost wolfish grin spreading across Gajeel's now slightly redder face before he realised he was smiling and clamped his mouth shut in a tight line so hard Lily wondered if he pulled a muscle in the process.

"Yeah, well, Dragon's do it too, Lily. Though, it's _not_ with just feelings,"


	2. Chapter 2

Lily studied Levy and Gajeel over the next few days before Levy and team Shadow Gear shipped out on an uncharacteristically confrontational mission to apprehend some bandits in the nearby little hamlet of Blossom. Jet and Droy exchanged worried glances as an impatient Levy practically bounced on the spot while waiting at the train station. And for the first time since he met him, Lily got to bear witness to Gajeel's attempt at navigating Magnolia's library in search of any books regarding the mating practices of Dragons. Of which they both discovered that there were _none_. Watching Gajeel trying to work out library sorting codes had turned out to be one of the most amusing experiences of the Exceed's life. It was painfully clear the man had never stepped foot in a library before with Lily ending up having to do most of the actual work while Gajeel sat with his head in his hands groaning.

"You know, I would hazard a guess that this whole researching of ours would be much more fruitful if you actually spoke to your prospective _mate_ about it?" Lily grinned at the shudder that shook Gajeel's shoulders.

"For fucks sake, Lily, would you stop _saying_ it? I swear I will knock the everlivin' crap out of you if you don't shut the hell up," He growled between clenched teeth.

"If you think that Levy isn't going to notice all this you're wrong. The first person that mentions her unusual behavior to her and she's going to start looking into it. And I don't need to advise you that she'll probably be far more successful at it than us," Lily put his hands on his hips at Gajeel's answering glare. "You're acting like a _child_ , Gajeel," Pantherlily was on the verge of giving up and leaving the Dragon Slayer to do all of this on his own.

"Shit…"

Lily smirked. The single utterance from Gajeel was the affirmation he needed. It was going to happen. They'd wait till Levy got back from her mission and talk to her about this. After all, Fairy Tail had had its own Dragon Slayer for a number of years now and Levy's personal book collection was extensive. She may already either know more about this than them or at least know where to find the information.

"So, and correct me if I've gotten it wrong, two Dragons cross paths in the wilderness and if they're compatible prospective partners their Dragon magic links them, sharing some personality traits, skills and knowledge with the idea that if they do choose to mate they'll have more of an understanding of each other and will be less likely to eviscerate their other half," The Exceed had often wondered how normally solitary, territorial Dragons ever got around to reproducing. It would make sense that they had to have some magical assistance.

"Pretty much," Gajeel ran his hands through his hair, pulling at the roots slightly. The pain helping him focus. "I just thought I'd get a tail or something. They're cool, right? Wings would be handy in a fight, too," He whined miserably. "Why'd it have to be this? There's a literal thousand fucking Dragon traits that I could have ended up with, and I got fucking this?"

A raspy voice shushed him from somewhere out of sight among the bookshelves and Gajeel glared angrily.

"Yeah, come and fucking make me shut up!"

Lily facepalmed, "Gajeel, please just calm down for a moment. Do you know if this is permanent?"

The Dragon Slayer's face impacted loudly with the library table.

"No idea."

"Well, when we speak with Levy, I think that might be where we suggest the research focus. I would imagine that for Dragons there would be some sort of expiration or something similar. If nothing happened I would be hard pressed to believe that the link would remain for very long," Lily took Gajeel's cheeks between his paws and squeezed a little. "Magic can be stopped. Links can be broken. We will figure this out!" The Exceed insisted.

"Please figure out whatever it is, some place else. This is a library not your guild hall. Now please leave before I've to call Makarov down here to have you removed."

Lily dragged a stiff, glaring Gajeel out through the front doors and back in the direction of the guild hall; the eyes of the librarian boring holes in the back of their heads with the force of her stare. The heavens opened and the pair trudged through the rain. Gajeel's mood was as dark as the weather.

* * *

Team Shadow Gear's return was a more muted affair than their departure. The excitement that had been present on Levy's features as they'd left was long gone and had been replaced with a concerned look and a tight grimace.

Gajeel seemed to be aware of their arrival in Magnolia hours before they wandered in through the front doors of the guild. He just _knew_. And it caused him no amount of extra undue stress to realise that he could actually feel their link, even at a distance. His heart skipped a beat seconds before the doors even opened revealing a rather gloomy Team Shadow Gear. Levy trailing her two friends. It relieved him to see that there were no visible injuries on the script mage. In fact they all looked a little more bandage free than they usually did after a fight. In fact the only one with any visible injury at all was Jet, who was now sporting a rather obvious black eye.

On closer inspection he noticed the normally close group break away from each other. Jet and Droy in particular sharing some sort of silent communication before consciously putting distance between themselves and Levy. Gajeel felt a twinge when he noticed her shoulders slump in something very close to misery. That however didn't last long as she clenched her fists tight. Hands shaking at her sides. Her head rising slowly and her face turning up and to the side before her glare fell directly on him. Like she could tell exactly where he was without ever even looking. He saw her mouth the word 'you' and point a finger at him, daring him to move. He wanted to laugh as her tiny form stomped up the stairs to the second floor but he reeled it in.

Gajeel felt nervous all of a sudden. Which actually made him want to laugh even more. His father would have gotten a right kick out of the situation. As much as human females were smaller on average to their male counterparts, the same couldn't be said for Dragons. A human would be hard pressed to tell the difference. You'd more than likely need to politely ask if they were male or female and hope you weren't eaten. The woman stomping up the stairs was now sharing some of his more aggressive Dragon traits and it was making him nervous. As she approached the table Gajeel schooled his face into a mask of cluelessness.

"Hey, shorty, what's up?" He made himself calm through sheer force of will. He hadn't allowed himself to get this close to her in the time since this began and the proximity was something tangible pressing down on him now. He felt his muscles tense. His traitorous eyes demanding he allow them a wandering look at what they could only peripherally tell was an awful lot of curved thigh. He knew he'd to talk to her about all this but he was desperately hoping to have Lily here with him for support when he did.

Her glare practically screamed at him that whatever was going on was his fault and he couldn't even deny that. Whether or not he had any control over it was irrelevant.

"What's up, indeed. So…" Gajeel tried to prepare himself for the worst. "…you see poor Jet's eye?" The Dragon Slayer let out a slow breath, he might get out of this yet.

"Yeah, right shiner too. Idiot should learn to dodge," Gajeel laughed nervously, looking away and occupying himself with his drink.

Levy huffed and the Dragon Slayer heard her grind her teeth in annoyance. He didn't like being ignored either.

"I did it," She seemed to deflate a little at the admission and Gajeel's mouth fell open.

"Now, why'd you do that? Thought you guys were all…" He wanted to use the word tight but his brain immediately went to dangerous, _dangerous_ places. He settled for crossing his fingers instead.

Levy looked him dead in the eyes and took a solid breath.

"He said you were a bad influence in Fairy Tail and I got angry. It was completely unlike me. I didn't even know why I did it…" Her expression changed and he found he could no longer read her. "…I do now, though," She glared again.

Gajeel had no idea how long he'd been in the guild since wandering in around noon but he was suddenly very aware of how quiet it had become downstairs. He could feel the alcohol in his blood sending ripples of hot blood flushing to his skin. Regardless of how much he wanted to glance and check he couldn't bring himself to look away from the large brown eyes melting holes in him. He could no longer tell what face he was making. If she was reading any of this from him. He understood why the Dragon magic had fixated on her. It was _because_ he had feelings for her. Only now, thanks to the link it felt like he was existing with this space around him he needed her to fill. He wanted to know if it was the same for her. Was she having the same trouble concentrating as he was? He studied her eyes as they moved across his face and he wagered she was.

"Of course, I have literally every single book ever written about Dragons, Dragon Slayers and Dragon Slayer magic. If you actually thought I wouldn't know what the hell was happening you're a dumbass," Her face reddened and after a quick, paranoid look around to make sure no one was looking she hooked a finger in her cheek and pulled back to reveal an ever so slightly longer canine. Gajeel did a double take in abject shock. "How do you stop yourself from literally obliterating every single _fucking moron_ in this entire stupid guild?" The bluenette huffed, irritated by just about everything.

Gajeel sat dumbfounded. This wasn't happening.

"I'm pretty sure I don't, Shorty. Ain't that the problem half these chumps have with me? I'm not a paragon of asceticism. Never have been. If I wanna fight, I'll pick a fight," Gajeel leaned back against the balcony's edge.

"Oh wow, that's so fucking annoying," Levy narrowed her eyes at Gajeel who shrugged.

"What is?"

"You using big words you don't understand."

"I _know_ what asceticism means, Shorty."

"No, you don't, Gajeel. _I_ know what asceticism means," She ground out. "And thanks to your stupid magic…" She yelled in frustration. " _Oh by the gods_ , you didn't even use it right. _Please_ just get out of my head already," She finished with a groan before slumping to the bench opposite him to glare at him. "Those are _my_ words!" She grit out and Gajeel swallowed at the possessiveness in the tone. This was definitely his influence.

It crossed Gajeel's mind that what Levy was experiencing was just a taste of being Gajeel the Dragon Slayer. Possessiveness. Temper. Social claustrophobia. He was well aware that he was a part of a guild and this giant bunch of insane asylum rejects were essentially his extended family, but there was a reason he was sitting on the first floor away from the commotion. A reason he usually took only Lily on missions. He didn't smother himself with folks the way Levy did on a daily basis, and smother it would seem she was doing.

"Okay, this shit…" He waved an arm between them. "…is hopefully gonna pass and in the meantime I'm gonna give you some advice on how not to assault your fan club," Gajeel followed her eyes down to her hand where he noticed that he'd placed his own somewhat comfortingly over it. He yanked it back as though it had touched molten lead and grunted despairingly. This was going to be difficult. The link that would form between dragons took place to try and drive them together, considering how solitary they could be it seemed to be a necessary event. Staying away from her was going to be quite possibly the hardest thing Gajeel would ever have to do.

Levy let out a shaky breath. She slowly withdrew her hand understandingly. She knew why he'd done that. She knew, because something like that would have been what _she'd_ have done to offer comfort. In this situation though, actual physical contact was dangerous.

"So, what's your advice?"

"Exercise, meditation, pain, combat training," The dragon slayer deadpanned.

Levy bolted upright.

"Those are your _solutions_?" She growled at him. They sounded more like punishments.

Gajeel gave her a tired look.

"Exercise will wear you down and stop you rushing into something when you're overeager for a fight. Meditation helps increase control. Pain is great as a way to focus," He directed her attention to his other hand where his fingers were digging painfully into his thigh. "Combat will teach you restraint even when you lose it," He chuckled. "Prepare to start pulling some punches, Shrimp."

Levy's eyes were focused on the hand bruising his thigh.

"You're having issues focusing?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Probably for the same reason you've been repeatedly counting the studs on my face," He smirked but froze when Levy's hand reached out, he wasn't sure if her hand moved faster than normal but one moment it was hanging by her side and the next it hovered just in front of the small metal rivets on his chin, just below his bottom lip. He hadn't noticed either way. Despite not actually making contact Gajeel could still feel them. Her eyes narrowed slightly, their surface glazed. The warmth of her fingertips striking him repeatedly like lightning as they traced the path of the studs from his lips to his chin.

His hand moved of its own accord to grip the woman gently by the wrist and guide hers way from him.

"Considering you know so much about this I don't need to tell you what happens if…" He opened his eyes slowly, not quite sure when they'd closed and was greeted with a blush across Levy's face so delicate, so utterly intoxicating that it dried up whatever it was he was going to say next. Absently he still realized he was gripping her by the wrist. He didn't let go and she made no move to reclaim the limb. They were frozen in position like that. Gajeel's heart was beating a mile a minute and he could tell Levy's was too. As much as he loathed to admit it, even to himself, the magic at play was just a link magic. It hadn't created these feelings out of nothing. As much as it hurt his understanding of himself this attraction was all him.

And it would appear, all _her_ as well.

With nothing short of godlike effort he unclasped his fingers and let her hand fall. Her breathing regained some sort of slower, regular pace although he could still hear her heart beat hard against her ribs. A sound echoing his own.

"I know," She closed her eyes, a tortured look on her face. "Mated for life," She almost whined.

"Yeah, and I don't know about you, but I'm not exactly…" His words died off, unable to find the right term. He hadn't forgotten the history between them. A woman like her should be aiming higher than an ex dark guild member with a multitude of personal and magical social issues. More electricity surged through him. Compounded exponentially thanks to the link. He hadn't noticed the hand she'd quietly placed on the side of his face till it was already there. It felt so warm it could have been burning. Gajeel could feel beads of sweat begin forming at the nape of his neck.

"If I'm not allowed to self-depreciate, then neither are you."

She leaned over him and he could taste the restraint in her feathery kiss. Her right hand keeping his face steady as she pressed against him. Beyond that there was a sense of mirrored confusion and a kind of desperate longing. For just a single, terrifyingly glorious moment he let himself believe that he was okay with the idea of spending the rest of his life with this woman. As though every day wouldn't remind him of the monster he'd been. Remind him of all the destruction he'd left in his wake. For a scant few seconds that felt like lifetimes, he enjoyed the feel of her lips on his and the touch on his face that left him feeling like jelly. He kept his hands rigid and at a distance. Knowing the moment he reciprocated the contact was the moment he gave in; resigned to a commitment he wasn't sure either of them were ready for.

Thankfully she pulled back under her own power. Gajeel wasn't sure he'd have had the ability to do the same. As she stepped away from him the Iron Dragon Slayer could have sworn he saw disappointment in her eyes before she turned on her heel and made her way downstairs and out the guild doors while the remaining Fairy Tail members chatted and brawled obliviously. The noise starting up almost instantaneously. Though Gajeel reckoned the din had never actually died down to begin with and he'd just suffered an attack of Levy induced tunnel vision.

For the first time he could remember in his life, Gajeel wished he wasn't a Dragon Slayer.


	3. Chapter 3

Every day got worse for Levy. The guild hall was just a melting pot of sound and smell and for a mind so accustomed to focusing, it was torture. She was late on what should have been a simple translation job because she couldn't keep her own senses in check. The guildhall was madness. Her mind felt legitimately violated in her usual space there. Jet and Droy could tell something was very wrong but their attempts to help involved them hovering over her and asking the most asinine questions. "Are you okay?" She clearly wasn't or they wouldn't be asking. "Can we do anything to help?" If they could she'd have asked them already. "What's wrong?" How could she even vocalize the response she wanted? Because she wanted to tell them that _they_ were what was currently wrong with her. At most she just settled for silence and grunted out single word responses. She sounded like Gajeel on a bad day and if _that_ didn't just explain pretty much the majority of his personality issues.

Even in her apartment there was no escape from the assault; the high pitched screeching sound of Erza sharpening her weapons and what Levy could only determine was the last dying sounds of furniture as it was destroyed. The sound of Cana singing. Juvia talking to her dolls. And what she was fairly sure was Ever passionately screwing the heck out of Elfman. Levy had no idea that they were even an item forget about how she smuggled him into Fairy Hills, but there you go, Dragon Slayer hearing. Of all the fucking things Levy didn't want to hear. At present it was hard enough not to imagine all the stuff she could be getting up to with Gajeel right now without the extra reminder. Levy bit down on her pillow, vaguely disappointed when her teeth pierced goose down and not flesh. Then worried that something like that would ever disappoint her. Normally if she was having trouble focusing she'd have gone outdoors but in this case it had been raining for nearly two weeks straight. Not exactly uncommon for this time of the year in Magnolia but very inconvenient at the minute. She's have gone to the library but it was undergoing repairs after Natsu collided with the front arch shattering a set of five hundred year old doors not a day passed. The librarian had screamed for hours about how much she hated Fairy Tail and their stupidly abundant number of resident Dragon Slayers. Resigned to the possibility that she would miss the deadline tomorrow and possibly her rent money, Levy started furiously checking places off. She needed somewhere indoors, out of town and quiet. She'd have gone to Jet or Droy but they'd have hounded her with questions she wasn't quite willing to answer right now. With a sudden undeniable feeling that she was going to regret it, Levy found a solution.

Lily took far too long to answer the front door. So long in fact that Levy felt her resolve wavering as she waited outside of their house. Gajeel had left on a solo mission and wasn't due back for a few days, and the script mage was hoping that Lily would give her a small quiet space to get some work done. She'd always wondered why Gajeel liked the quiet, now she knew. She wasn't sure how anyone could live like this. Bombarded by literally everything around them. Attacked by their own senses.

"Ahhh, Levy!" The Exceed looked genuinely shocked to see her at Gajeel's front door. Considering the pair had made sure to keep a city wide distance between each other at pretty much all times during the previous week.

"I need a favour Lily," The script mage gave the best and most doe eyed look her wet hair and flushed cheeks could muster.

* * *

Gajeel had been hoping that the mission he'd taken would occupy him for at least a week. After all, he'd spent four hours on a train to get to Boarsnest, for the actual job to take less time than the trip over hadn't been something he'd considered. The mission Mirajane had practically nailed to his hand after twenty minutes of pestering had been to catch a thief making the moves on some ceremonial gold staff on display in the town hall. They'd had a few attempts during the course of the month before they sent in the request to Fairy Tail and each time the theft had only been narrowly averted. The culprit was still unknown. As luck would have it Gajeel had arrived just in time to accidentally knock the thief on his ass with the large guilded front door. The blubbering man had been caught stunned and red handed. His bruised and bleeding form skidding to a halt at the mayor's feet still clutching the staff. Case. Fucking. Closed.

Under any other circumstances it would have been the single luckiest mission outcome but for the fact that Gajeel had taken the job _specifically_ because he figured it would take time and effort. Too late for the trip back, the town put him up for the night, paid him well and organized a private compartment back on the first train before dawn. The Dragon Slayer didn't sleep a wink despite the hotel being one of the nicest he'd visited in a while. Luxurious sheets. Enormous bed. You could have fit two people in the bath for his room. And there in he figured lay his problem. He missed Levy. Even though he'd kept his distance back home, being quite so far away from where he knew she was was irking him. It was like having an itch just out of reach that you could never scratch. Or hearing a noise just on the edges of detection that slowly drove you mad. He'd felt this when she was on a mission with her team before but didn't really attribute it at the time to their bond. He had no idea how far from her he could get before it kicked in, or if it got worse the further away he managed to go, but either way it was torment. His senses were on overdrive. There was a time in his youth when one of Phantom Lord's less favored grunts introduced him to a particularly special homebrew. When Jose found out he knocked it on the head immediately. The come down had been pretty rough. That's what this felt like. It felt like some sort of withdrawal. Actively straining the link between them had very real physical and mental repercussions. Another new fact that Gajeel could add to the growing pile of worry.

The Dragon Slayer got to his house about noon. Officially less than twenty-four hours after accepting the flyer from Mira. A record according to Makarov. Gajeel couldn't have cared less, he was beyond pissed off. At his front door Gajeel could already smell her. The individual, indescribably alluring smell mingling with dusty paper that he frequently used to identify the woman he'd had the misfortune of falling for. He took a deep calming breath before opening his front door. Or tried to at least, his jaw just refused to un-clench.

On his sitting room table he found a small note Lily had jotted to the woman letting her know that he'd gone out for the morning and to help herself to whatever she needed in the fridge. A quick glance around found her shoes at the front door, her rain coat on the hook and her satchel on the couch.

Gajeel tried to forcefully calm himself down again but the anger wouldn't abate. He was trying. _Gods_. He was genuinely trying. Was this woman really messing with his head like this?

He wanted to stomp up the stairs but he could already tell she was sleeping and a part of him didn't want to wake her. Another part of him hated that he even cared about waking her. All in all, he was just desperately confused. _Angry_ and confused. His stomach fell when he found the guest bedroom empty. Squeezing his eyes shut he tried to mentally prepare himself for what he now knew he was going to find. Unfortunately, no amount of preparation prevented the physical stumble at discovering the woman curled up in the middle of his bed; arms and legs clutching one of his large pillows, surrounded by a sea of rumbled blankets and open books. Her unconscious form snoring peacefully. He collided painfully with the door frame trying to steady himself as he wondered if she would hold onto him like that if they slept together. A pang of jealousy for the pillow before his eyes drank in the sight of a long bare leg disappearing into a pair of tight, stretchy sleeping shorts. How a woman that size could have legs like that, astounded him.

Gajeel _couldn't,_ quite literally _couldn't_ deal with this right now. He made to step forward and stopped himself, pressing his face into his hands. Would it be okay to even touch her when being in the same room was driving him demented? He left the bedroom door ajar and retrieved a glass of water. Not a full one, mind you. He still needed to sleep in that bed tonight. From his position at the door he splashed the script mage who jolted up in bed like a snarling beast and threw herself over her books. Gajeel couldn't stop the smirk. It must have been a guild job then.

"Rise and shine, Shrimp, time to…" He was interrupted with a book to the face.

"You fucking _jerk_!" The woman shrieked before her eyes widened in abject terror. "You're back!?" She went completely wide-eyed. "Oh no, what time is it?" She scrambled around the bed pulling out pages and stacking them. Trying to put them in some sort of order.

"About noon," Gajeel smirked.

"You!" She sucked in a shaky panicked breath. "I'll speak to you later."

It sounded like a threat. A part of him found that sexy as hell and he knew for that very reason that he had some serious fucking issues. She grabbed her things and hurried passed him downstairs. She couldn't have been out of sight more than thirty seconds before he heard the front door slam closed. Gajeel fell down on his slightly damp bed and breathed in what was now a mixture of Levy's scent and his. The smell was a soothing balsam on his dejected Dragon soul. A smile crossed his face at the memory of her sprawled out on his bed. Little bit of drying drool at the corner of her mouth. Hair all over the place. The first instinct she'd had when she thought she was under threat was to protect her work. She was really something else. Perfect came to the forefront of his mind; utterly perfect. Intelligent. Unbreakable. A blinding, piercing light that cut through him like a hot blade. And he was fairly sure now that he was in love with her. It might not ever matter whether or not their relationship progressed. Even if nothing ever happened between them. Even if they were separated. Even if she found someone else. He wouldn't be able to. He wasn't just attracted to her, he was in love with her. In his heart of hearts he knew that. It was more than a sexual attraction. He didn't just _like_ her. Forget about this ever passing. He'd already been screwed before Lily ever mentioned it.

The Dragon Slayer groaned loud enough to startle the Exceed who was coming in through the front door and dropped a large bag of Kiwi's in fright. Gajeel buried his face into Levy's pillow and tried to keep from weeping. He'd damned her. Regardless of how she felt, for him this was cemented. In a lot of ways, Levy was stuck with him forever doomed to pine over her. It could still pass for her, but it wouldn't for him.

He bit down on the pillow, shredding the material as his face turned beet red.

He came home to find her in his bed and he threw _water_ on her. What the everliving _fuck_ was _wrong_ with him?


	4. Chapter 4

Notes

Thank you to my reviewers! DragoonHearted and Argetblodh. I have a few more chapters already mostly written so I'm gonna keep pushing out the updates while I've got the steam. Again, thank you for the reviews!

* * *

People at the guild had started to wonder what was going on with Levy almost immediately. She still smiled and laughed but on more than one occasion she'd let herself slip up and it had cost her more than just the odd look. She could hear her guild mates whispering about her behind her back as they discussed her somewhat unusual behavior. Even she was having a hard time predicting her own reactions to stuff. Very normal situations were resulting in volatile, and in most cases violent responses. For instance, Natsu had slung one arm over her shoulder and the other over Lucy's during a debate and he'd barely managed his proclamation of "My team could kick your ass any day of the week" before she'd bit him. Straight up, no flinching, no hesitation. She bit him on the forearm, hard enough as well to bruise. Natsu laughed it off. It was only after that she realised it had been a very Dragon thing to do to a personal space invader. He'd gotten that. Lucy and the others _hadn't_ , especially when she'd refused to talk about it, because let's face it, telling people that you'd become physically, magically, mentally and emotionally linked to a somewhat antisocial guildmate because you had the hots for them was never going to be an easy thing to spew out. Already the script mage could feel a wedge begin to form. What started as a kind of amusing gossip was clearly becoming a source of worry for everyone at Fairy Tail. They were deeply troubled and somewhat wary about her lashing out at them. Back at Fairy Hills, Erza had taken to randomly dropping in unannounced at times proclaiming she'd heard something and was just checking it out. Something Levy knew to be an outright lie. The script mage could hear fucking _everything_ going on around her. When Jet and Droy had taken to following her they'd been completely unaware that she could now hear Droy's labored, tired breathing practically two buildings over at any given time. Over the course of two weeks, the gossip had turned to worry had turned to suspicion. People that she'd known her whole life were treating her like she was some imposter. Like the real Levy had been swapped out with her and was due back any minute. They couldn't prove anything but they treated her with paranoia and even a little resentment. What had she done with the _real_ Levy?

The situation degraded more so when Wendy had confirmed that Levy was smelling a little different lately. For a lot of people, even Makarov, this seemed to add some sort of legitimacy to the idea that she was some sort of stand in and the real Levy was off somewhere possibly held against her will. As ridiculous as all of that was. Let's face it, it was Fairy Tail, they'd come across stranger and rational thought wasn't in an overabundance at the guild at the best of times.

The whole thing had begun to quickly spiral out of control and the one person she needed more than anything right now had taken jobs back to back so as to avoid her. The confidence boost that was. Lily was her only comfort, the Exceed trying to calm things down and assuage people's fears but he'd only served to outcast himself. When he was around they just didn't talk about her. But he hadn't changed anyone's mind. Not in the least. Oddly enough his furious defense of her only made people more paranoid. She was certain of only one thing, she _needed_ Gajeel.

Utterly fed up Levy packed a bag and left her apartment using her precious savings to cover the rent for the next month. If she did have to leave permanently she'd have to work out a way of transporting her things but she was hoping it wouldn't come to that. With Gajeel almost never home she was willing to risk staying at his over the possible mob that might decide to storm on her apartment in the middle of the night. Despite the situation she couldn't quite keep hold of the smile that crept onto her face when she realised that she didn't want to hurt any of them. Because she was fairly sure she _could_ , if it came down to it. She'd always had the ability. She just couldn't see it.

Learning from her mistake Levy took the guest bedroom this time round and decided she'd use the peace and quiet to try and untangle her thoughts. That night, she slept properly for the first time in weeks though when she woke up she realised she'd stolen one of Gajeel's pillows from his room at some point in the night. Something she couldn't even remember doing.

Sleepwalking. That couldn't be good.

* * *

Gajeel was practically assaulted when he arrived back to Fairy Tail. Never in all his time at the guild had he seen such a commotion. His head throbbed with the noise and the shouting. His ears picking up at least half a dozen people repeating his name, clamoring for his attention. Experience had thought him that that, could never, ever be a good sign.

Before he could make the conscious decision to turn on his tail and literally run, an impossibly strong grip that could only have belonged to Erza fell on his tired, bruised and unsuspecting shoulders.

"Just the man we need," She announced rather loudly and Gajeel felt his eyelids flutter with exhaustion before audibly groaning.

"Gajeel, you need to help us find the real Levy!"

"We think Levy's been kidnapped."

"Natsu is on a mission and Wendy is too young, you can smell her out can't you?"

Jet, Droy and Gray all spoke simultaneously while others started up as well with some very unhelpful things about shapeshifters and some plot to take over Fairy Tail. Gajeel's brain couldn't quite catch up with everything that they were yabbering about. It was nonsensical madness. More so than usual.

"Wait, what?" He snapped and was rewarded with silence. "Does someone with their faculties' still intact want to clue me in on whatever the fuck is going on here?" A headache was forming in the area just behind the Dragon Slayer's eyes.

For all the hysteria, Gajeel's voice fell on them like a cold wet towel. Erza stepped up and Gajeel couldn't quite tell if she'd be the reasonable one or not out of this _mob_. You could never quite tell with Erza. One situation and she'd be mobilizing them with all the control and coordination of a military commander and then the next she was dressed like a bunny holding up a casino for the sheer thrill of it. The woman had issues. Coming from him, that was really saying something.

"We've had some suspicions lately that our Levy might be in some trouble. While the woman coming to the guild might look like her she hasn't been acting like Levy at all." Erza was measured in her reasoning. Emotionless. "Wendy confirmed to us that her smell had changed. Of course when we brought this to her she still refused to talk about it. Now the imposter has vanished. More than likely because we've caught on."

In a way that only a Fairy Tail mage would think rational, they'd made a wild leap from Levy being irritable and a bit confrontational to her being kidnapped and replaced with some magical lookalike for some unknown reason no one could seem to explain. Gajeel genuinely couldn't believe the crap he was hearing.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe Levy was dealing with some shit she didn't want to talk about?" He asked, a quiet rage brewing in the pit of his stomach.

"What about her smell? Wendy says…"

Gajeel interrupted Jet with a stern look and a threatening finger.

"Wendy is just a kid! I can tell you that smelling different could be anything from her changing her brand of detergent to using a different shampoo." Gajeel glared at Jet. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" He meant a lot to Levy. Probably the only reason that right now he hadn't received an iron pole to the face.

"Why'd she disappear then? Why couldn't she talk to us?"

Gajeel felt a special kind of hatred for the Bunny Girl. The woman with more secrets and pent up emotional issues than he had piercings. Those questions were _rich_ coming from her. If it weren't for the fact that she seemed genuinely hurt by Levy's voluntary isolation Gajeel wouldn't have even answered her.

"Maybe because she was upset by something and instead of supporting her, her friends started talking behind her back and treating her differently. Nothing wrong with the Shrimp. It's all of _you_ that are the problem,"

Gajeel didn't stay to collect another job, instead he turned on his heel and headed home. A crying Lucy, a deeply embarrassed Erza and a thoroughly dumbfounded Jet and Droy to name but a few left utterly silent at the realisation that Gajeel was right and they'd behaved like a bunch of grade A jackasses. That they'd been pulled up by him of all people really struck a cord with most. How bad does it have to be for Gajeel of all people to start reading you the riot act. Fuck Dragons, fuck the link magic and fuck the guild. Gajeel was going home to Levy and they were going to sort something out. Cause this just wasn't working.

Of course, if she'd just explained all of this to them it might have saved a hell of a lot of stress. Then again, did she not do precisely what he would have done in her position? Gajeel knew the answer to that as much as he knew that he was a complete moron. Songs and lengthy poems would be composed about the totality of his idiocy.

The pain he felt was like a physical punch to the gut when he realised he could hear her crying from outside his house. Lily was in the kitchen putting some mugs of what Gajeel could smell was hot chocolate on a tray. The Exceed went to speak but Gajeel held up a hand.

"I straightened out those idiots back at the guild."

"Oh thank the _gods_! Those people are _lunatics_ ," Lily let out a breath and sagged so much in relief he almost fell over. "Here, take this up to her. She's missed you," He passed the tray to Gajeel who just grunted. The Dragon Slayer would have accepted death before admitting it himself, but he'd missed her too. Not just the link. He'd missed her laugh. Her smile. Her threats of bodily harm. Her fondness for kissing him when he was too distracted to notice.

He couldn't tell if it was relief or disappointment he felt when he realised she was in the guest room and his bed wouldn't smell like her. It was such an odd and selfish thought to have. In a moment that he could only purely attribute to the emotional intuition that had leaked from her to him, he knocked on the bedroom door instead of trying to barge in. A few weeks back he wouldn't have even though about it, this being his house and all.

"You can come in, Gajeel," Her voice sounded tired.

"Hey, Shrimp," He set the tray on the dresser by the door and took a mug, offering her the hot chocolate. "Lily made you this,"

"Thank you," She paused staring down at the liquid, her eyes pooling again with tears. "I didn't think you'd be back for a while yet. I hope you don't mind me staying here. I just couldn't _think_ with all that racket."

Gajeel laughed.

"Yah get used to it, I swear," He sighed. "So, I _sorta_ sorted stuff out back at the guild. Didn't necessarily tell them anything. Guess I just made them feel stupid. They _were_ being stupid, though,"

Levy smiled at him brightly. "I heard!" She sweetly replied.

"Ahhhh...I see you're putting the hearing to good use. Secret Dragon Slayer art; the eavesdrop. Gihee," He chuckled.

"How do you stand it?" She asked him, suddenly serious.

"Stand what, Short stuff?" The nickname dragged a reluctant half smile out of the woman.

"All the things they say about you when they think you can't hear them," She whispered.

Gajeel scratched the back of his head nervously and sat at the end of the bed. About as close as he was willing to risk getting.

"Well, in my case I do deserve it, you know. They're right to hate me," The Dragon Slayer admitted. Levy threw a pillow at him and snarled. Quite literally snarled. Complete with elongated teeth and everything.

"No, they _aren't_. The last two weeks I've learned what it's like being Gajeel Redfox and not only was it scary and lonely and _painful_ … it was clear that Fairy Tail is letting you down," She set the cup aside, untouched and scooted closer to him. "Just like they let me down," Gajeel opened his mouth but she stopped him with a finger to her lips. "Before I knew you no one ever told me it was possible to be physically _capable_. I'd accepted that I was just this tiny word mage. When people thought I was weak I told myself that that was because I _was_ weak. I'd made peace with that. The first time I think I've ever thrown a solid punch was Jet's black eye," She rested one hand on his shoulder and half pulled, twisted him to look directly at her. "When I said I was small and too weak for the trials you were the only person there that didn't look at me with pity, or lie and tell me I wasn't. You admitted it and told me to get stronger. You were the only person who even genuinely thought that was possible. My friends should have been the ones telling me I'd no limits, but it was _just... you._ "

The kiss this time was an eternity coming. Gajeel watched her inch her way closer to him. Her lips dry and chapped raw from all the crying she'd done. Her gaze was warm, though, and her hands on his neck were soft. It was gentle. Her breath ghosting over his chin before she pressed herself up to him in silence. Even his heartbeat stalling, not willing to break the quiet. She held him there for a moment and Gajeel let his hands steady her by the waist as even though he was sitting on the bed and she had risen on her knees, she'd still to stretch a little to meet him.

When she pulled away there was this tiny glimmer of hope where there'd been nothing before. Gajeel felt as close to normal as he had in months. He let out a huff of air.

"What you gonna do about the guild?" He asked her.

"I'm gonna forgive them, maybe try and come up with some way of an explanation for all this," She laughed and Gajeel grinned. He really missed those. "I still can't believe they thought I was some sort of Levy-replica. That's just insane!" She grew thoughtful. "Though, has that happened before?"

Gajeel shrugged. It was Fairy Tail, so probably.

Levy fell backwards on the bed. Arms stretched out over her head. She let out a huff of air before propping herself up on her elbows.

"You know, I feel a lot more like my usual self," She admitted with curious look he couldn't decipher. "I don't feel like I'm one hair away from multiple homicide anymore." As though she were trying to figure something out. "Is it because you're here?" The look on Gajeel's face told her everything. "When you used the word 'consummated' before...did you mean as in _consummated_ or something else?"

Gajeel couldn't help the predatory grin that pulled at his face in reply. Levy threw herself face first into the pillows to hide the blush assaulting her normally fair complexion. She kicked her legs against the bed trying to release some of the frustration she was feeling but only serving to accidentally catch Gajeel in the ribs with a stray foot.

"Holy shit, Shrimp. What are your legs made out of?" Gajeel coughed. That had genuinely hurt. He was an Iron Dragon Slayer and that had actually fucking pained him. To say he was impressed would have been an understatement.

"Sorry," She replied sheepishly. "I took your advice and got Lily to help me on his days off. He says it's easier to punch up than down and I've got good legs," She laughed.

Gajeel turned his head away and mumbled under his breath "Ain't that a fact..." before attempting a cough to cover it up. Levy stretched out her leg and with a bare foot under his chin she tilted his head back in her direction.

"I didn't need super hearing to hear that, you know," She gave him a devilish look. "I want to try this," She said resolutely.

"Try what?" The Dragon Slayer gave her a perplexed look to which she only grinned wider. Before moving her fingers back and forth between them, indicating she was talking about them as a singular item. Gajeel now noticed that Levy had left her foot hovering just at chest level.

"Being stuck here thinking for so long I had to try and factor in what this whole 'mate' thing would mean for me," Gajeel's breath literally hitched in his chest. _This wasn't happening._ "Don't get me wrong, I'm not ready for that, I can barely process the idea and I'm not saying that two months down the road we aren't going to at each others' throats and ready to call it all off...but avoiding each other isn't working. Sex is off the table for the moment but I'm not a sex on the first date kinda girl anyway. We could still..oooofff"

She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence as Gajeel grabbed a hold of the foot under his face and used it to pull her to him. One hand quickly snaking it's way under the small of her back and pulling her to her knees, the other hand bringing her head and lips to his. She _moaned_ into the kiss and to Gajeel's shock she was the one to include the movement of tongues. Her hands tangled in his hair, tugging slightly. Before he even realised they were moving, he was sprawled out across the bottom of the bed, her body pressed into his. They kissed as though the other were going to vanish at any moment. Two lengthy months of denial and frustration and longing and here they were a tangle of breathless limbs at the bottom of the bed. Gajeel let his hand wander up under her shirt and felt a responding rumble stir in his chest when she arched into him, her head falling back in a look he could only describe as rapture.

"Am I setting the table for three, or will you be going out again, Gajeel?"

Levy squealed in surprise accidentally headbutting Gajeel in the face; the Dragon Slayer rolling himself to the side away from her so fast he collided with the iron bedpost at the foot of the bed. Lily stood in the door a look more bemused than anything else.

"I'm stayin'. Damn cat, I'm stayin'."


	5. Chapter 5

Levy felt it best to keep _some_ stuff in the guest room at Gajeel's when she returned to Fairy Hills. As much as the dragon slayer had said he'd calmed stuff down, the idea of going back into Erza country had been terrifying to say the least. The woman could be scary. While Levy had been certain she could talk anyone else around, Erza was stubborn, and if she got something in her head you would be hard pressed to remove it. So worried was the script mage that she made her return at three am to be sure and avoid as many of her neighbours as possible.

When Levy had arrived at her front door she found a small picnic hamper at the entrance. In it there were an assortment of apology letters and trinkets, some homemade jams courtesy of Juvia and a jar of what looked worryingly like homebrew from Cana. Clearly the girls' way of making amends. Levy gingerly picked up the basket fully intending on creeping into her apartment.

"Well if it isn't our vanishing bookworm,"

Levy spun, for the first time in weeks someone had gotten the drop on her and she found herself instantly uncomfortable with the idea that Cana had gotten as close as she had without noticing. The woman for once looked remarkably sober, especially considering it was three am. What the hell was she even doing up at this hour, anyway?

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna announce you or anything. I'd make a wager people hovering over you were probably part to blame for the outbursts." She smiled apologetically. "We aren't exactly known for our respect of personal space...but I guess we better start sometime, right?" Cana laughed and Levy felt herself relax a little. Her eyes drifted of their own accord to the too-tight bikini Cana was wearing. Levy couldn't quite believe how the woman fit into something that much smaller than...

"Is that my bikini?" Levy burst out, suddenly unaware of anything else.

"Oh this? You weren't around. I didn't think you'd mind..." Levy wasn't looking at her face so she didn't see Cana scrutinizing her reaction. Trying to come to some sort of conclusion.

Truthfully the script mage didn't hear much of what she said after that admission. Only vaguely aware that Cana was again apologising. Fairy Tail could be jerks sometimes. Blah. Blah. Blah. Levy felt this thing coiling in her stomach, up from her abdomen, behind her ribs. A painful tightness that seemed to put everything around her into utter silence. Her heart rate rising in something akin to anxiety. Cana, had broken into her apartment and gone through her stuff. Not only that, but she ransacked her unmentionables, and _then_ had the utter gall to come to her begging an apology wearing the stolen item in question. The script mage vaguely realised that she'd never be able to wear that bikini again. The cups now stretched to beyond bursting. The once cute red, striped bikini top would look _ridiculous_ on her now. Like a flat-chested little girl playing dress up in her mothers clothes.

She dropped the basket in the hallway at her feet and with a smooth motion that even Cana missed, and the woman had quick fingers herself, Levy ripped the top off the bustier woman with one hand and punched her in the crotch with the other. The card mage went down like a tonne of bricks.

Levy stood over her, her face now shadowed by the light fixture overhead.

" _Mine!_ " She growled and Cana just nodded.

"Sure thing, blue," The woman hissed through clenched teeth.

Levy put the bikini in the basket and made her way into her apartment. Once inside and feeling more secure than she had been in the hall she set the basket on the living room table and tried to make sense of what had just happened. She collapsed to her knees and buried her face in her hands.

"Not again..." She whined into the darkness.

Out in the hallway a pained, decidedly topless Cana got to her feet and made her way back to her room. When the door to her apartment closed she activated the silence rune Freed had placed on one of her cards. In her apartment Mirajane, Ever and Erza were gathered. A few empty bottles of wine scattered about the place. Some of their wine glasses were emptier than others. Erza looked like she'd drunk a few bottles all to herself. Her cheeks a shade of red to match her disheveled hair. Mira and Ever looked only very mildly inebriated in their pyjamas and mud masks. Cana would need way more than a few bottles of wine to feel any kind of effect at all.

"So, was I right?" Mira asked, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice.

Cana leaned against the back of her apartment door and gingerly placed both hands over her pubic bone, groaning in pain. She let her body slide down to the floor. If she cared about the fact that she was topless she didn't show it.

"Yeah, has to be a Dragon Slayer thing. Soon as she recognized that bikini she went all Gajeel on us,"

Mira jumped to her feet and punched two hands in the air.

"I'M GOING TO HAVE GODBABIES!" She shouted, overjoyed.

"You'll probably have nephews or nieces first," Cana whispered, and gave a now blushing Ever a wink. Not even the colour of the mud on her face could hide the fact that the woman was turning redder than a tomato. The blush so deep it traveled down her neck. "Isn't that right, glitter bitch."

Erza coughed up a mouthful of wine, choking. Mira's face became unreadable. Cana could only laugh as two s-class sets of darkened looks fell on the suddenly very uncomfortable Ever.

* * *

Levy got to bed eventually at just about a quarter to four in the morning. Like she'd taken to doing lately, she checked herself in the mirror after her shower and recoiled at the length her teeth had grown to. If she bit Natsu now she'd break the skin for sure. She prodded one with her finger and grimaced to find that the damn things were _sharp_ as well. She checked her back and breathed a sigh of relief when she failed to spot any growths or changes that might indicate she was about to develop a tail or scales or something equally more difficult to hide. She crawled into bed happy at least that she wasn't actually going to turn into a Dragon. If Gajeel could get by with these little quirks. She could too.

Levy woke up at about noon. Unfortunately, she woke up back in Gajeel's house, in the guest room. Having no memory of getting there. She lay paralyzed in the bed for several seconds, staring at the ceiling. Confused. Slightly terrified. Unwilling or unable to move. She wasn't entirely sure which one. It had to be a dream, right? She'd gone home. She gotten into her own bed. _What the hell was this?_

She bolted upright and the scream that tore through her was at such a strange pitch that she couldn't quite believe that she'd made it. It sounded like no scream she'd ever heard. It resonated in a way that human vocal cords just couldn't process sound. Next door there was a loud crash and a string of curses before Gajeel quite literally kicked in the guest room door a scant three seconds later. Standing there, clad only in his boxers, hair all over the place and eyes encrusted with sleep. The Dragon Slayer was panicked as he looked around wildly seeking the source of the god awful noise.

When his mind started catching up to the rest of him he found himself staring at Levy. It took him a second to realise that she'd been the source.

"What the fuck yah doin', Shorty?" He growled out. She found her voice strained and sore, probably from the scream.

"I don't know. I went to bed. _My_ bed. I was home. At _my_ home. I went to sleep..." The words tumbled out without much in the way of cohesion. She was clearly terrified. Gajeel forced himself to calm.

"I was more talking about you being covered head to toe in muck, Shrimp, and screeching like a Dragon who found out someone ate the last sheep," Levy looked down at herself and realised from her bare feet to her hips she was covered in mud. She felt a leaf fall out of her bangs into her lap and a cursory examination of her hair found it covered in forest litter. Her eyes scanned from the bed to the open window. Small muddy foot prints leading in from outside, a storey up off the ground on the first floor as well.

Levy felt the urge to be sick when she arrived at the conclusion that she'd sleepwalked over seven miles in the dark and rain, in nothing but shorts and a tank top, no map, no torch, not even shoes. All the way across town to Gajeel's house and somehow managed to get in through the window of the guest bedroom on the first floor. There weren't even any vines or trees to climb up outside. Levy couldn't even work out how she made it up to the window. Did she use her script magic? If she had that was opening to a much larger problem.

"Oh gods...this is getting worse, isn't it, Gajeel?" She muttered, flabbergasted. It seemed there were other stages to this not mentioned in any of the books.

Gajeel rubbed his face tiredly.

"I think so, yeah," He made a strange face and Levy couldn't quite work out whether he was embarrassed or confused. His face a little pink and his mouth and brows tight. At her beseeching look he spoke. "You might want to see this," When he'd moved out of sight, Levy willed herself to follow. Her muscles sore, stiff and her legs and arms stinging from a multitude of cuts and grazes. She left a trail of dust and dry mud flakes as she walked; the thick coating cracking off her legs with each careful step. Opening his own bedroom door Levy peered in awe around his arm. The entire room was one enormous sculpture of iron. Intricate spirals resembling branches were decorated with delicate iron flowers and leaves. These iron vines covered the walls and parts of the floor. Like an artificial forest made of metal. "I guess...it's meant to be a nest or some shit like that?" The iron dragon slayer shrugged nonchalantely. He remembered none of this. The only proof it had been him at all was the fatigue he currently felt. This, had taken effort.

Levy pushed passed him into the room and sat on the edge of his bed looking at his handiwork.

"Was this...for me?" She said with a somewhat disbelieving smile. Her eyes transfixed on the beauty of it all. Taking it in before her rational mind could ruin this with the inevitable inner dialogue that was going to succeed in terrifying her again. Gajeel just nodded before coming to sit quietly beside her. "This is just like a bird. Some species of male bird build nests to attract females. Though..." She gave a broad smile. "...I don't think anything quite this elaborate," She whispered appreciatively.

Levy leaned into Gajeel's shoulder and he sighed.

"I don't think this is going to go away," The idea seemed to terrify him. "I ain't even sure that there's enough of me that wants it to," The Dragon Slayer admitted with great difficulty. "Sorry for putting you through this, Shrimp," He looked almost lost to Levy's eyes and it crossed her mind that his feelings for her might run deeper than a simple like. As she looked at his forest of iron she couldn't deny that she might feel the same way. Maybe that was why this was as bad as it was? Maybe the reason they were drowning in this magical bond was because they weren't just strangers passing in the night. There was already a strong bond there, fueling the magical one. It crossed Levy's mind that perhaps trying to delay what Gajeel's dragon magic figured was inevitable at this stage, was a part of the overall problem. The magic seemed to be growing, building to something, confused that two people who clearly seemed to love each other were still so unsure of taking steps toward any kind of commitment. A Dragon would probably think this hilarious, it was probably unheard of for a Dragon. Levy on the other hand just felt so out of control. As though neither of them had any say in this anymore. Like some mystical force had just decided that they were going to be together forever and to hell with it. She hated feeling like that. She would have bet Gajeel did too. She knew why they were resisting like they were. For their differences they were alike in a lot of ways. Control was something they both hated losing. She laughed to herself, realizing she could always go and do something illegal and get tossed in a Council cell for a year or two. That would be enough time she figured, wouldn't it? But even with the magic gone, she understood that she would still love him. She hesitated then, looking at the little nest Gajeel had made for her and she had to factor in the type of relationship she was being offered here. There would never be any doubt about her future or his feelings for her. No uncertainty. They would never break up. Never fall for anyone else.

She kept her musings to herself, her stomach beginning to rumble with hunger. Not surprising considering the night time activities.

"I think it might be best for me to stay here for the time being. Don't want to wind up in a ditch in the middle of the night if I go sleepwalking again," She laughed, unperturbed by Gajeel's admittance which relieved him. "I'm going to make breakfast."

Gajeel watched her muddy buttox swagger out of his room and bit back a surge of annoyance at the pleased feeling it evoked in him to know that the nest he'd made had met her approval. That just irritated the shit out of him.


	6. Chapter 6

Notes

A huge thank you to all my reviewers! And SOOOOO many followers to this already. I honestly can't believe this little drabble of fluff has been so popular. I'm kinda humbled. :D

This is just a short chapter before the real fun begins. Levy is going to want her old routine back and that's going to mean that poor Jet and Droy are going to need to get used to some added members on Team Shadowgear for the time being. In the meantime, we have Lily and Gajeel.

* * *

When Lily had gotten back a few days later from his trip to New Extalia, he found Levy and Gajeel pretty much living together. In the living room the empty bookshelf that had come with the house had been filled. A small armchair nestled beside it with an ornate coloured glass lamp that couldn't possibly have been Gajeel's, hanging over the seat. To compound his confusion, Lily normally expected some form of disorder when he returned after any kind of out of town trips. Gajeel didn't necessarily create mess, but at the same time he wasn't one to tidy either. The Exceed noted that the place was a hell of a lot cleaner than by any rights it should have been after a few days away. The weirdness only continued as the cat progressed through the house and found himself standing in the kitchen, staring in shock as a mumbling Gajeel flipped pancakes while wearing the Exceed's larger apron. The front of the almost fluorescent green item was emblazoned with a picture of a cute kitten and the words 'This Chef has claws!'. A belated birthday gift from Erza, a few months previous.

"What...the flying fuck?" Lily's first curse felt better than it should. Even more so for the way it caused the Dragon Slayer to drop the pan and batter on his foot in shock.

"Shit that hurt!" He exclaimed before the Dragon Slayer grabbed a cloth to clean up the floor. The man was willingly cleaning, too. Lily was rendered speechless. If Gajeel noticed his sudden toe dip into domesticity he didn't seem to show it. He smiled at Lily casually. "Don't think I ever heard you curse before, cat, suits yah!" Gajeel grinned wolfishly at him. The opportunity to mock the Exceed made the ruined pancakes much easier to ignore.

"I'm sorry I just don't think I'll ever be able to process the image of you wearing an apron, Gajeel...may I ask?" The cat gestured to the apron and the pancakes. The dragon slayer huffed.

"Neither of us have been able to sleep much. Think we're afraid to sleep. Doin' anything at this stage to stay awake," Lily now noticed the dark circles under Gajeel's eyes and the tired, worried look on his face. "We're up and doin' stuff in our sleep. I seem to be building a nest of some kind. Levy goes off wandering in the woods, comes back smelling like deer crap and grass. It's getting worse. First night you went off to visit she sleepwalked back here from her apartment."

Lily gave him a lobsided grin.

"Gajeel, I was more commenting on the _pancakes_. Considering, you don't even _like_ pancakes,"

"You hit your head or something? I _love_ pancakes!" The Dragon Slayer glared at Pantherlily and to punctuate his point he jabbed a fork in one of the three he'd successfully made and stuffed the whole thing in his mouth. He paled and Lily outright laughed at him.

"No, _Levy_ loves pancakes," Lily smiled. "And the bookshelf?" He added.

The Dragon Slayer just glared at Lily while forcing himself to chew silently. He visibly gagged when he swallowed. Another trait all the Dragon Slayers seemed to share. They hated being wrong. Lily let the subject drop. He knew Gajeel enough to know where the lines were.

"So, she goes out patrolling at night while you construct some sort of elaborate display?" The cat tapped his chin, thoughtfully. "I take it she's still in the guest room?" Gajeel nodded, still glaring and Lily gave him an amused look. "But she doesn't sleepwalk into your room? She just goes out?" The Exceed took a moment to think while Gajeel tried and failed at making another pancake. The Dragon Slayer growled and took a bite out of the pan before hurling it passed Lily into the living room. It passed clean through the older, ratty sofa by the door. Lily was sure it had become lodged in the wall by the dull thunk after blistering shards of wood exploded outward.

"Yeah. She just goes out, climbs right out the damn window and drops like a fucking cat, Lily. Then takes off at a run. No shoes, half naked. I'd warn yah about following, as well," Gajeel looked passed Lily, somberly recalling. "Yeah, following doesn't end well," He all but whispered.

"I presume you've tracked her trail in the morning?" Gajeel nodded, washing the taste of pancakes out of his mouth with a glass of water. "Is she following the same path every night. A kind of large circular area around the house?"

"How'd you know?"

Lily grinned in a way that unnerved the Dragon Slayer. All teeth and knowing looks.

"I'm not an idiot," He deadpanned. "Levy appears to be marking territory, Gajeel. The fact that you haven't picked up on it is quite bizarre considering Dragons do it and you've been known to take little treks around the area, yourself."

"I do _not_ mark territory, Lil!" Gajeel narrowed his eyes. Animals marked territory. He was still a man. Dragon Slayer or not.

Lily floated up to eye level with Gajeel and brought his face really close.

"I may not be good when it comes to lies, Gajeel, but even you can't honestly expect me to believe that you genuinely think that? This area _reeks_ of you, and you can _smell_ it. I've seen you. You train till you get a bit sweaty and then you go on a run to cool down...and from the pungency, you must literally brush every plant and tree for a mile in every direction in the process," Gajeel wasn't used to having his life broken down like this. A part of him genuinely liked that he gave off a mysterious, somewhat unreadable aura. Lily not only could read him like an open book but he was observant enough to interpret the stuff the man wasn't even aware he was doing. Gajeel sometimes hated the little bastard.

"Generally, creatures develop territorial traits when they're stressed or insecure in their surroundings. The woman is clearly willing to give a relationship with you a chance, however nervous and pressured she's feeling. That, in of itself is nothing short of a miracle, Gajeel. You can't push back against this. I recommend that all the talk about compromises be put into practice. Spend time with the woman. Take her out. Start treating her like an actual romantic partner instead of some unlucky victim of Dragon mating magic gone wrong. I guarantee you, if you put some effort into this in your waking hours, your inner Dragon might be willing to ease up on the clear overcompensation happening at night and she might start feeling a little less nervous about the prospect of being mated to an oblivious, stubborn ass for the rest of her life." Lily picked up a pancake and took a bite cautiously. "These are really quite good, Gajeel. I should complement Levy when I see her. She really knows how to make pancakes," The Exceed laughed.

Gajeel growled at the implications in the last comment but Lily unfortunately was talking too much sense to focus on it.

"So what? Forget about the link? That it?" Gajeel sputtered.

Lily slapped him on the forehead.

"Pay attention to her. Spend time with her. Stop blaming everything _on_ the link, you _oaf_ ," The cat growled.

"Fine!" Gajeel pulled the plate of pancakes out of the Exceed's reach.

Lily mumbled a barely audible "Oh come now!" Which Gajeel ignored.

"Little knowitall shits make their own," The Dragon Slayer glared, one eye narrowed to barely a slit


	7. Chapter 7

He noticed the limp before he noticed anything else about her that morning. She hid it rather well, but it was there. In the rise and fall of her step, in the way she shifted weight between her hips to disguise it; hide the fact that she was clearly in pain. Not even the bacon, sizzling in the pan prevented him spotting it. Guaranteed, if she was in a room with him he was aware of every single detail. From her posture, to her mood. It didn't go unnoticed that she wore leggings today. That for him was a pretty big red flag that something was amiss.

"So, how's the leg feeling?" She was caught off-guard by the comment and for a woman of so many words, her voice faltered, failing her completely. Instead her mouth forming an 'o' shape before closing tightly.

Gajeel laughed before quickly plucking her up off the floor and throwing her over his shoulder. Levy growled and hissed indignantly.

"Gajeel Redfox, I don't fucking care if you're my Gods sent _soulmate_. Put me down, you fucking jerk!"

Gajeel set the woman down on the couch and sat beside her, pulling her legs over his lap so he could check them out. Her protesting ceased when she realised he wasn't going to just let this drop. If she were him, and he was hurt, she wasn't sure she'd have let it go either. In a single fluid motion that sent her heart rate rocketing and killed the centers of her brain responsible for language, coherent thought and rational decision making, Gajeel, with a hand on each hip, pulled the skin tight garment off her in less than a second. Leaving the script mage in naught but her panties and a t-shirt and her legs on his lap. She made a sort of protesting mewl that made the Dragon Slayer chuckle.

That was until he saw the bruises.

"What the _hell?_ What the fuck did this to yah?" He snarled. While her right leg was sporting some nasty bruises her left leg looked as though a hundred bruises had joined together. The dark patch stretching from her knee all the way up to her waist with a few interconnecting marks on her calf. Gajeel had never seen soft tissue injury this bad before.

Levy frowned.

"I don't know. I guess I just woke up like this. Must have been something I ran into overnight. It'll be fine in a few days." She saw the dark look on his face "It's fine, I've had worse," She gave him a sad smile, trying to appease the growing tension between them.

"When?" Gajeel snapped. She should have said something. He could start barring up the windows at night. He could follow her at distance. He could have at least helped her this morning. The house was stocked with every potion you could buy to speed up healing. "Cause I'm pretty sure I'd have remembered you this beat up," He countered.

Her face paled and _instantly_ Gajeel knew what she was referring too. He put his head in his hands.

"I am such a fucking idiot," He sighed at the look of understanding on Levy's face. "Please..." He held up both hands, almost pleading with her. "...keep your ass put. I'll be back."

Levy took a deep breath. "Hey, not as if I've anywhere to be, anyway," She whispered but offered him a weak smile.

Gajeel disappeared upstairs for a few minutes before reappearing with a number of bottles. Some of them were so old the labels had worn off completely. Levy stared at the glass vials, curious as to what Gajeel was planning to do with them. He sat back down on the couch and carefully took her legs back onto his lap. He cycled through a few of the bottles, sniffing them; to Levy it looked like he was trying to identify one of them. He stopped on a bottle with an opaque milky substance in it.

"It's going to sting for a minute but just a minute," He offered up the bottle for Levy to examine. She gave it a cursory look, twisting it to see the thick, oily liquid slowly respond. More a paste now than a liquid.

"What is it?"

Gajeel grinned at her.

"Best you don't know, Shorty. It'll help, though," She felt her cheeks flush at the sincerity and trepidation in his voice. She couldn't even work out why that would make her blush at all. She laughed, more at herself than anything. The situation was growing more and more ludicrous as this whole thing went on.

"Fine," She laughed. She made to open the bottle but Gajeel plucked it carefully out of her hands.

"Best you don't get it on your hands. I'll do it." He reasoned.

Levy narrowed her eyes at him.

"But it's okay for you to get it on _your_ hands?" Her righteously aggrieved words died on her lips as she watched his hands take on a dull metallic sheen. She stared at the bottle, suddenly realizing how serious it's contents must be if Gajeel was literally reduced to covering himself in iron scales just to use it. Her wide eyes asked the unspoken question.

"Yeah, it's safe. Just a little sting and that's it," He muttered before scooping out a large blob on two fingers and then spreading it out over the bruised area.

At first Levy felt absolutely nothing at all. A mildly unpleasant coldness. That was about it. But within seconds this had morphed into a searing, burning pain. Levy felt her toes curl of their own accord as she threw herself back on the couch and tried to pull her legs away from Gajeel as she thrashed. He'd clearly been expecting this because he kept a firm grip despite her kicking. The pain permeated down into her bones and Levy was vaguely aware that there were tears running down her cheeks. What felt like an eternity passed before the pain receded and the script mage sucked in a shaky breath. The muscles in her calves and feet felt like they'd been carved from stone; they were so tight she physically didn't think she could loosen them. She sat up and glared at Gajeel.

"You're a bastard, you know that?" She spat angrily wiping away the involuntary tears on her face.

Gajeel looked sheepish, scratching the back of his head.

"Ain't gonna call you a liar," He traced a regular finger over the area on her thigh bringing Levy's attention to it. Her eyes widened at the unblemished skin. The bruise was completely gone. Suddenly excited with the results she tried to stand but Gajeel held her back. "Hey, not done yet,"

Another bottle appeared in his hands this time and Levy flinched. Her fists tightening, fully prepared to fight him on this. She relaxed when he poured some of the liquid in his bare hands and let out the breath she was holding in when he started to spread it over her thigh. The oil was warm, and wherever Gajeel applied it, the residual ache vanished. The script mage closed her eyes when Gajeel took both of his hands and started to massage the substance in. Kneading it into the recently repaired muscles with the heel of his hands.

Levy let a pleased moan slip out and his hands stalled momentarily before continuing. The woman was only vaguely aware that his hands were now moving in slow purposeful strokes from her feet all the way up to her hip and only then to be repeated on the other leg. All previous memories of the pain the potion had caused her were long gone; along with the aching in her limbs. Only now an ache had appeared elsewhere, striking her core like lightening as he contacted various tender spots on the inside of her legs. Hard hands grazing her delicately in some places and forcefully in others.

Gajeel was aware her breath had quickened and he could smell her arousal, like a drug, making his hands bolder in their movements; his fingers climbing higher and higher. He swallowed a lump in his throat when his callused digits brushed the edges of her simple black panties; her hips bucking of their own accord, her breath actually hitching. Gajeel felt himself almost completely lose it as the movement caused the t-shirt she was wearing to slip up and expose the hollow of her stomach. He could see the quivering of muscles just under the skin. Without thinking he reached over and with a hand on either side of her hips he pulled her up off the couch and positioned her across his lap. A leg straddling him on either side. A dull tight ache in his pants at the feel of her pressed against his burgeoning erection. Her lips came up to meet his and like some sort of celestial convergence, Gajeel could swear he saw stars. He was melting from the heat between them.

Unlike the reserved kiss they'd shared upstairs this was so far beyond anything they'd experienced. Gajeel had no idea that any person could feel this lost in someone else. He'd never wanted anyone before her. Like he knew he would never want anyone else. Her teeth nipped at his lip and the painful sting was utter perfection. She smiled against him and he knew it was payback for the ointment. Even like this, entangled in each other. Tongues exploring freely. She still had that same fire to fight him. To challenge him. He found the strength to crack his eyes open and pull away long enough to look at her and like the moments after waking from a dream, where you can remember all those details so clearly before they vanish like wisps of smoke, he thought he understood it all. He thought he could see into her. He might have been iron but only she was unbreakable. To his shame, he'd tried, but like his father's Dragon scales she couldn't be broken. His hands stilled in their exploration of her ample curves and Levy let out a huff of air before resting her head in the crux of his shoulder.

He let out a pleased sigh.

"Nothin' is gonna happen that we don't want," His breath tickled her ear and he closed his eyes when she left a soft kiss on his shoulder.

"And what...if we want it to happen?" His heartbeat stalled momentarily. Some things were too terrifying to leave to hope. For the script mage it was an eye opening experience; Levy felt connected to him in a way that she'd never dreamed could be possible.

"Then I guess Lily is gonna need to take a long vacation, Shrimp, gihee." Gajeel chuckled and Levy slapped him lightly on the chest before laughing herself.


	8. Chapter 8

Notes

They say the causes for a lot of sleep related disorders can be attributed to anxiety. ;) Thank you to the reviewers again! This is so much fun to write. As for Lily's smarts? Well, I have a feeling he's much, much older than we know. Exceeds don't seem to recognise time in the same way and he's already fully grown. It _could_ be entirely possible for him to be as old as Makarov. I'm sure you'd pick up a thing or two.

* * *

They came to the decision unanimously. As a couple. As weird and unsettling a concept as that had been for Gajeel, who as far as his reckoning allowed had always been a solitary and decisive individual. The idea of discussing something with various opposing, but no less important consequences and reaching a middling area that could be agreed upon with another Human being was a strange state of affairs. But it was one he was realizing would soon become the norm if this continued. In the end, Lily's opinion had swung it for them both and they'd acquiesced to the idea.

They weren't doing themselves any favours separating. If anything, the strain and anxiety was only succeeding in driving them and their guild slowly mad.

Levy and Gajeel sat awkwardly on the edge of Gajeel's bed. Lily was having a hard time even concentrating on the conversation taking place, even though this had been partly his idea. There was just so much iron. The room resembled a jungle. Lily couldn't help but spare a moment of admiration. Who knew Gajeel could be this arty?

"I still don't think this is such a good idea, Lily," Levy gave the Exceed a concerned look.

"All those currently not in their right minds, and presently affected by ancient Dragon magic, please raise your hand?" Gajeel and Levy looked to each other for a moment before both of them tentatively lifted an arm. Lily crossed his paws. "You two need sleep," He grinned at their wide-eyed expressions. "I _do_ just mean sleep. _Sleeping_ in the same bed shouldn't be too much of a stretch considering I can already tell you're considering following through on the _other stuff_."

Levy subconsciously squeezed Gajeel's hand and Lily watched the man's tired eyes close for a second.

"So stop worrying, lie down, and try. Resting in the same room will give you both more of a sense of security. Levy, you shouldn't feel the need to go walkabout and Gajeel, I believe you'll stop adding to this beautiful madness if you feel it's worked," The Exceed padded out of the room, the door clucking shut behind him.

Levy leaned in against Gajeel's shoulder.

"How did we get in this mess?" She asked, wistfully.

"You and your short skirts," Gajeel snorted, and a look of fiery indignation crossed Levy's face.

"And what about you, Mr Shirtless? Do you really have to rip the sleeves off every _single_ shirt you own, you, you _jerk!"_ She shot back at him but the corners of her lips had begun curling upward.

Gajeel laughed and pulled her down with him to the bed. She elbowed him in the ribs and smiled at the coughing sound he made amid the chuckling. As soon as his head hit the pillow Gajeel felt the exhaustion hit. Unlike the other nights, he didn't feel the same restlessness. The feeling that there was something he should be doing was gone, replaced instead with a heavy, drowsy sensation. Levy went almost completely limp in his arms and he felt them sink together into the mattress. He held her back against his chest and allowed his breathing to slow and felt hers do the same. Sleep came so easily with her in his arms that he could scarcely believe it had to be Lily that recommended it. There was no sexual desire. No awkwardness. There was just the feeling of belonging somewhere. Even in the guild there was still the feeling that he was living some other person's life. That it was all going to come crashing down around his head. This, though? This felt solid. Tangible. Like he'd been drifting for so long and then finally anchored. She was fast becoming the center of his entire world. It felt like this was something solely _his_.

* * *

Gajeel woke up the next day in exactly the same position as the night before with Levy tucked up against him. His arm felt a little numb from where she'd shifted a little in the night and pinned it down but he felt rested at least. His hand had fallen and slipped under the edges of her tank top, to a position resting across her bare stomach at some point during the night and with a cheeky grin Gajeel let his thumb trace a faint circular pattern before removing it completely.

"You awake, Shorty?" He whispered.

"Ughhh, yeah, what time it is?" Levy answered goggily. The only clock in the room had been completely obscured by the iron forest days ago.

"No idea. Gihee," Gajeel chuckled as he started to detect the cold wet drool patch on his arm as feeling crept back in.

"Hey, let me up, small woman with large bladder, here," Levy giggled and slithered out of his arms. It took a minute to get her barings before she wandered into Gajeel's ensuite. Her muscles still felt like they'd been replaced with sacks of rock. She couldn't ever remember being as physically pushed as she'd been the last few days. She was half tempted to ask Gajeel if he'd any more of that oil to rub into them. Though the memory of Gajeel's hands on her skin made her body temperature rise. She smiled to herself. Probably for the best she didn't mention it.

The dragon slayer swung his legs out of the bed and grimaced when his feet touched the cold floor. He'd need to get a rug or something for Levy. He sighed unhappily at the thought, recognising it for what it was; a need to finish the nest for his potential, prospective, more-than-probably future mate. The only individual who had feet and hands colder than the Ice mage. Though, as the thought occurred to him, he realised he felt under no pressure to actually give in to the idea. He grinned to himself. This was _working_. Stop fighting it, start redirecting it. The feeling of having some degree of control back felt good. He had to admit. When Levy emerged he took the opportunity to use the facilities. After a quick shower he tied his wet hair up out of his face and considered his plans for the day. He'd expected to find Levy up and dressed when he got back but instead she'd crawled back into his bed to resume her previous position. Gajeel laughed watching her burrow back in under the pile of blankets. In fairness the woman had spend most of her nights racing though the woods. She could do with several days of sleeping in. Unfortunately, as much as the Dragon Slayer would have loved to crawl back into the bed beside her, he'd already made the decision to be moderately productive today. Even though all this was going on, he reckoned he was probably going to need to take a job or two. Lily had been taking solitary missions to allieviate some of the financial strain but Gajeel could tell the Exceed was getting tired. He'd already made the decision that he wasn't going to let this interfere with his life any more than it had been.

That and staring at the iron leaves and being reminded of how thin the line between sane and totally crazy was, was not on his agenda if he could help it. Getting dressed he made his way downstairs where he found Lily, Erza and Makarov in his living room having tea. He froze and turned on his heel intending to forsake the day and go right back up to bed but Lily stopped him.

" _Gajeel!_ "

"I really must have been a bastard back in Phantom cause no one deserves this kind of fucking torture, Lily!" He droned in utter defeat; absently wondering how he hadn't heard them. His eyes fixed on Makarov. It was probably that old bastards doing.

"Yes, well, from what I hear you might not have been that far off it. Now, sit down. I've already explained the worst of it. Erza had come to apologize to Levy personally but you two were still sleeping so I decided to spare you the embarrassment and fill them in on the details," The Exceed stated calmly. Gajeel wasn't quite so understanding.

"You mean you were offered the opportunity to gossip and you took it, right cat?" Gajeel narrowed his eyes and pretended to search the room. "Hey, where's Mira, you hidin' her in the kitchen or something? If you're all up here in my house for a gossip you should have invited the devil," Gajeel spat. The man was far from pleased and while Erza seemed moderately annoyed by his attitude, Makarov took it in his stride. At least _he_ knew how sensitive this situation was.

"Not to worry, Gajeel, there won't be any gossiping going on. You underestimate Mira if you think she was completely ignorant to all this. _Especially_ considering you've accomplished some rather uncharacteristically impressive feats lately," Erza squirmed a little although Gajeel noticed her face never lost it's composure. His senses told him she was impatient. The old master gestured for him to take a seat on the couch and reluctantly Gajeel obliged. Slinging his arm across the back, facing them indifferently. Makarov smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry to say that I only noticed Levy's unusual behaviour and not yours. Levy's personality traits and skills are a lot more subtle, I believe, though, when Gajeel Redfox starts quieting down mobs with words in place of his fists, it should be noted."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm an antisocial loner with authority issues who doesn't talk about himself. Wouldn't expect anyone to notice anythin' odd. I _am_ odd." Gajeel said, unimpressed with the focus that was on him.

"Is Levy upstairs? I feel I should give her my apology in person," The previously silent Erza spoke cautiously.

"Yeah, but she's gone back to sleep. Probably wouldn't recommend..." But Erza had already stood up and was halfway up the stairs. For a woman clad in armor she moved fast. Gajeel rubbed his temples suddenly very, very irritable. This wasn't the guild hall. People just coming in and moving about like they owned the place. It wasn't _right_. Yes, he was a little territorial. He was raised by a Dragon. He had a part of that Dragon's soul floating around inside him. He used it's magic. It came with the territory of being a Dragon Slayer that people respect your _fucking space._

He knew before he heard it and pushed his fingers in his ears. Not slow on the uptake the others did the same. The thundering roar from upstairs shook the glass in the windows and Gajeel winced. Even with his fingers jammed tightly in his ears the sound _hurt_.

Lily frowned.

"So, people trespassing in the _nest_ is a no, then?" The Exceed remarked

Makarov was silent. Maybe even a little horrified. Gajeel was aware that that hadn't sounded entirely Human. Then again, he was a beast himself first thing in the morning.

"Yeah, seriously, I know it's a strange concept an all, but I maybe _might_ know what the fuck I'm talking about when I say _let sleeping fucking dragons lie,"_ Gajeel flashed the pair of them an unimpressed glare. He could hear Erza scurrying back down the stairs. More in embarrassment than anything else. Upstairs he could hear Levy hurriedly try to dress herself. The guild was going to start having to listen to him on this. Or at least start asking the Salamander. Gajeel could almost guarantee it that as brain dead as the pink haired fool could be sometimes, he knew his Dragon etiquette. Wendy, despite her age, would do too. If there were a list of things to do that would get up killed, disturbing a slumbering Dragon would probably do it for you.

Makarov regained his senses rather quickly, considering.

"I think Levy could probably benefit from one or two jobs with her team mates, Gajeel," The old man flashed a look of annoyance at Erza who muttered a "Forgive me, Master. I'll be outside," before promptly leaving.

"No!" Levy appeared in the wake of Erza, having made it halfway down the stairs before the woman vanished out the front door. The script mage's hair was an unholy mess and she was wearing a scowl that would have given Gajeel a run for his money. "I punched Jet in the face the last time. I wasn't even that out of it then. I'm not safe to be around," She pleaded with him. Her face turned red. "I bit Natsu," She mumbled ashamedly.

Gajeel turned to her in shock before the laughter started. This was something he hadn't heard about. The man couldn't even speak. Tears came to his eyes as he tried to take in a breath and failed coughing. Makarov huffed at the Dragon Slayer's response.

"Believe me, it's not the first nor will it be the last time that a Fairy Tail member bites Natsu, Levy. From speaking with him, he feels at fault. A Dragon invading another Dragon's space like that, even simply being friendly could be interpreted as reproachable conduct."

"But...I'm _not_ a Dragon," She muttered.

Levy made her way around the couch and Gajeel moved himself a little to allow her to sit comfortably, with space either side. Although she still chose to lean into him. Makarov had honestly never seen the man make such a considerate gesture so unthinkingly. Levy lacked confidence and assertiveness, where Gajeel had it in ample supply. He lacked social skills and had difficulty interacting on the most basic of Human levels, Levy excelled at that. She'd befriended him after all. An especially impressive thing considering their history. As far as Fairy Tail's master was concerned the Universe was not without a sense of humour and a deep sense of irony.

"It'll be fine, Levy. I've a mission already picked out for you," The old man placed a poster on the living room table and Gajeel turned it to face them.

"Hey, old man, this is an s-class job?" The Dragon Slayer growled. "Shadow Gear ain't ready for something like this," He hissed. Makarov could see the fear in his eyes despite the obvious anger.

"No. They aren't. That's why _you_ will be going with them."

Gajeel groaned and let himself flop back against the couch in defeat. A few weeks with Jet and Droy. It was almost too much. Levy on the other hand was beaming.

That was the only reason Gajeel even agreed.


	9. Chapter 9

Notes

I just want to thank all the reviewers and anyone who comes back to read this. I know that this is mostly wacky fluff. But I do like to play around with common tropes and screw them up a little. You guys following this story and reviewing are what's been keeping me going. Real life has been a bit hectic and for all the times I thought about just setting it aside, you've kept me writing. There is going to be smut but it's the last official story chapter before the epilogue. I'll give you guys fair warning when we hit it but pretty much everything I write is M, just to be sure readers are covered. I think everyone and their mothers knows where this thing is ultimately headed but as they say, it's the journey that counts.

Just to make sure I don't stop writing I wrote the smut filled chapter already. So I've really got no choice but to continue. Just to warn you, if you're hoping that there's going to be this epic macho chest thumping going on between Gajeel and Jet, you're wrong. So, so wrong. Poor Levy is outnumbered and she doesn't even realize it yet.

The mission begins!

* * *

Jet and Droy made two of the most unhappy silhouettes that Gajeel had ever seen. In the thunder and the rain, they stood together at the apex of the bridge, waiting for them. Droy's entire posture slumped in something akin to defeat - Gajeel mused that the mission hadn't even started yet before he realized it wasn't that kind of defeat that had him so down. Jet looked as fidgety and rigid as ever, arms crossed tightly over his chest and wearing a scowl that would curdle milk at a distance. Lightning flashed behind the pair giving the scene a somewhat over the top air of foreboding; Gajeel had to swallow and forcibly remind himself that he didn't care what they thought. He didn't _care_. However, when Makarov had spoken with people individually to calm things down, he'd advised Gajeel that out of all the guild members, most of whom had offered embarrassed congratulations on their newly forged relationship status, Jet had stormed out of his office and Droy had actually stopped speaking altogether. In fact, the man hadn't uttered a word to anyone since. The unspoken plea had been to treat the situation gently. They were Levy's closest friends. Hurting them, would hurt her. Gajeel kept this at the forefront of his mind as he crushed the urge to slap them stupid.

His steps slowed somewhat without thinking and Levy, sensing the drop in pace, grabbed a firm hold of his wrist and pulled him hard. The Dragon Slayer growled but it was lost to the sound of the storm.

As the group came together there was a tense unspoken silence between them, the only sounds were punctuated with the odd crack of thunder and the pattering noise of rain striking the waterproof ponchos Levy had insisted they all bring.

"Hey, guys, did you look over the notes I left for you?" Levy smiled and Gajeel watched that smile animate a somewhat lifeless Droy, who seemed to perk up at the realization that the Levy they all knew and loved was still there. Still over-analyzing missions. Still handing out waterproof ponchos days in advance and regardless of the weather forecast. Still _smiling_.

"I'm pretty sure I know as much as you do about the job, Levy…although, why you need us along is another thing. Gajeel should be more than capable, shouldn't he?" They weren't idiots. They knew that this was an S-Class mission and they weren't S-Class.

"Ain't really my mission," Gajeel interrupted. "This is Levy's, and since you're her team, the old man figured it'd be best to send you on it as one. I'm just here in case things go south or little Miss I'm-gonna-make-you-wear-a-fucking-poncho gets a little punch happy again," He admitted honestly which succeeded in earning him a furious glare from the woman in question.

The knowledge that this was officially a Team Shadowgear mission and Gajeel was the interloper made both mages relax. It had been a concern that this had been Gajeel's mission with Levy tagging along and them being roped into it as some act of charity to her. Levy had of course been a part of the last trials, so it would make sense that eventually she would start taking harder jobs. It also made sense to send along an S-Class or equivalent level mage. The Iron Dragon Slayer was a perfectly reasonable choice to send along with them.

Neither could deny that they'd been bent some ways out of sorts with recent events and revelations, but they weren't complete fools. The payoff for this mission would set them up for months and the iron Dragon Slayer would increase their chances of coming back to the guild alive. They'd accepted the job from Makarov after all, hadn't they?

Levy trudged on ahead with Droy, talking in hushed whispered tones over her map and from what Gajeel could hear, discussing an alternative route on account of the storm. Jet didn't immediately move to follow his team mates and Gajeel mirrored him.

The mage just glared silently at the Dragon Slayer. Not exactly a hate-filled look, but it wasn't a pleasant experience. Gajeel could feel his insides squirming uncomfortably. He was well aware that out of the two, Jet had probably been burning a candle for Levy the longest. And while he'd probably long since given up any ideas or notions of an actual relationship, it was still a bitter pill to know that she'd ended up making goo-goo eyes at the guy that beat the snot out of them and hung them in the square. Gajeel resolved himself to the knowledge that Jet was a good guy, simply for the absence of hatred on his face. The Dragon Slayer knew it would have been well deserved.

"How's the eye, man?" Gajeel offered in way of some sort of olive branch. Jet snorted.

"Still a little sensitive to light. You know I went blind in it for two days?" Gajeel hadn't known that. It certainly had explained why the pair had kept a distance. The faint bruise was barely visible now but the white of his eye was still blood red. It had certainly been a hell of a shiner. The speed mage winced at the memory. "It hurt like hell, too," He uncrossed his hands and let them flap down at his sides frustratingly. "She has these _tiny_ fists," He reasoned. Gajeel grinned.

"Just be glad she didn't kick you," The Dragon Slayer laughed. "If she can bruise iron ribs then bone ain't got a chance, gihee,"

Jet returned the grin with only the faintest upturning of the right side of his mouth but it succeeded in breaking the tension between them.

"Dude, I'm sure you deserved it," Jet kept his face neutral but Gajeel could see he was straining to keep the laughter in. The speedster turned on his heel and started walking in the direction Levy and Droy had meandered off in. Gajeel caught up to him and they walked side by side for a little bit in somewhat amiable silence. Jet finally allowed himself a smile. "You know that that poncho looks _ridiculous_ on you," Jet mocked.

"Yeah, yeah…laugh it up, flyboy!" Gajeel snarled.


	10. Chapter 10

Notes

I can't thank my reviewers enough for all the encouragement. I love you guys so much! XD

Happy Holidays!

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Gajeel didn't mind particularly long treks on missions. Like the other Dragon Slayers he'd developed symptoms of motion sickness early on and he'd grown accustomed to avoiding vehicles if he could help it. If the job in question wasn't time sensitive he frequently spent as much as a week traveling by foot to his destinations. After so long spent living in the wilds he'd developed a staunch love of being outdoors. The fresh air, the smells, the sounds, sleeping under the stars, they were all strangely freeing for him. Those long hikes were the most relaxation he would usually get away from home.

Out on the road he made the decisions. No one to second guess you. No one else changing your plans. It was true that he took most of his missions with Lily, but the Exceed wasn't the most familiar with Fiore as it stood, so he was more than happy to simply follow the Dragon Slayer. Which worked out great for Gajeel. What he was since discovering was that the outdoors lost a lot of its appeal when he was forced to follow others. When he planned a route for a mission, he stuck to it. He never found it particularly wise to overthink things. Unfortunately, Droy had convinced Levy to change their route at least three times to avoid stuff that Gajeel wouldn't have bothered with. Each change had left them in the shit. They changed to avoid a particularly dense patch of forest for a slightly out of the way trail because Droy felt uncomfortable with the idea of cutting their way through the helpless shrubbery and Levy gave in. The trail they'd finally taken ended in a rather dodgy looking bridge over a raging river. If Gajeel had been looking at their maps he'd have told them to avoid crossing any rivers _at all_ on account of the fact that it had been raining in the hills for nearly a month straight, and any waterways were bound to be bloody lethal as a result. But it wasn't his mission. As much as he'd wished it _was_ , as he watched the bridge be washed away behind them after they'd crossed; mouth open and disbelief firmly suspended. _That couldn't have just happened? Right?_ Yes, Droy had almost potentially drowned them all and Levy had unwittingly accommodated. Jet said and did nothing, he just frowned and let out a tired sigh. For a mage who loved to rub it in people's faces about how he was all about the 'get up and go' he was the laziest, most irresponsibly disengaged bastard Gajeel had ever met on a job, and this was coming from him. And he knew his bastards.

The next calamity had been caused so Droy could avoid a short climb up a rock face to what Gajeel was able to identify as a main road, all in favour of a narrow path that ended up becoming a five inch ledge over a few hundred feet into oblivion; the wall at their backs became an unclimbable monolith of slippery moss and running water that wound around the cliff face for nearly a half a mile. Gajeel wasn't afraid of heights but he swore he'd have to re-evaluate that thought if they survived. Jet was still silent. Still frowning but saying nothing like some useless, silent bystander. Levy still coddling Droy's fear of getting his hands dirty or breaking a sweat.

The last straw had left them all in a nest of Gorian. Gajeel had warned them, vocally this time, but somehow they still ended up in the middle of a fight that could have easily been avoided. Droy and Jet proved to be very uncoordinated in the brawl and seemed to cause more trouble for each other than the beasts. Levy had thrown out word after word and taken down a few without assistance leaving Gajeel to finish the remainder. His Shrimp had held her own and he'd crack the skulls of anyone calling her weak, these days. Though, she'd been left dirtied and exhausted afterward.

That night he sat with his head in his hands, utterly stumped that the team was able to function at all. He'd heard people mention Levy having to pull more than her fair share of the workload but he really couldn't quite believe things in Shadow Gear had gotten this bad. Jet sat against a nearby tree, leaning back with his hands behind his head. He didn't look concerned. Though, he didn't seem surprised by the last few days events, either.

"Is it always like this?" Gajeel asked him when they were alone. Droy was off gathering some extra nuts and fruit for tomorrow and Levy was cleaning herself up.

"Oh, pretty much," He muttered. "There's no point even saying anything…you'll just end up in an argument," He whined.

Gajeel crossed his arms, more than mildly irritated.

"And you're fine with that?" He sucked in a breath to try and calm himself. He could see why Levy hit the man. His mood swings and general apathy were annoying. "You're fine with almost dying ten times a day because one of your team mates isn't confident enough to climb fifteen feet, or deal with a little weather or forest brush, and Levy is too sweet to kick either of your asses into shape? You're fine with doing nothing?"

Jet sat up straight to glare at Gajeel.

"Of course I'm not _okay_ with it. But what exactly am I going to be able to do about it?" He fell back against the tree moodily. "I can't change them, and it's two against one," The whispered to no one in particular.

Gajeel just grunted disapprovingly. He saw the problem here. Shadow Gear wasn't a weak team of weak mages. They just believed they were. Droy's confidence was in the toilet. Levy was far too used to treating the man like glass, and Jet had fallen into some kind of melancholy about the futility of the whole thing. Which seemed to be leaving them in the same situation, regardless of their ability. Levy had started to return to more of her normal self since they'd stopped trying to avoid each other but Gajeel was left wondering if perhaps a few of his bad habits could have hung around a little longer. He smirked to himself; Dragon Rage Levy would have had this shit sorted out.

He wasn't planning to spend the rest of his life running hers, but he was going to go mad knowing that this was the common theme of their missions if he didn't do _something_ about it.

He let the subject with Jet drop; the speed mage barely heard Gajeel's audible grumble before the Dragon Slayer went looking for the woman in charge.

The weather had cleared the further south they'd moved and the trip itself had become a more comfortable experience because of it; as the sun became warmer and the evenings brighter, it afforded them some breath-taking views and much more pleasant nights. If he didn't think about the frequent near death disasters it wouldn't have necessarily been the worst trip of his life, he absently found himself musing.

Gajeel smiled following Levy's scent through the trees for about a hundred yards to a rock feature where she was using a steady trickle of water to wipe herself down. He stalled for a moment at the treeline almost choking at the sight of her bare back glistening in the dying light as she washed herself carefully down with a bar of soap and a wash cloth; kneeling in the grass clad in shorts and nothing else. He stood there for several seconds, mouth hanging open, utterly stunned that just a little more skin than usual would affect him quite this much.

"If you're gonna stand there and gape you could at least offer to help wash my back, Gajeel," Levy hadn't turned but Gajeel could have been audibly hyperventilating and he might not have noticed. She scolded him playfully before twisting and flinging the soapy cloth at his face with a laugh. The Dragon Slayer grinned. Snatching the rag out of the air.

He took a spot just behind her kneeling form and placed the cold, wet cloth against her back making small, delicate circles. He was methodical and careful; more than a little transfixed by the sight of suds running down her naked skin. When she shivered he quickly passed the wash cloth back to her and took the towel at her side to dry her off; his fingertips brushing her guildmark ever so lightly earning him more goose bumps that had nothing to do with the wind.

She quickly threw a t-shirt over her head but surprised Gajeel by leaning back into him and wrapping his arms around her. Burrowing into his much warmer form with a sigh.

"I'm messing up out here, aren't I?" She spoke quietly to him.

"You ain't messing up, Shrimp..." He paused briefly. "Though, I think you need to start throwing your weight around a little," His fingers made small circles on her stomach through the fabric and she crooned in delight at the sensation despite the words striking a sour note with her.

"I'm not sure I'm capable of giving them orders like that, Gajeel," He felt her shrug. "They're my friends. I'm not some General going to war, you know," She said, exasperated.

"If you're going on an s-class mission, you may as well be going to war, Shorty," He pulled her tighter to him. "If you're the brains, the one left making all these fucking plans, then they need to be able to follow them, end of," He kissed her temple. "You go and put hours of fucking work into piecing together the job and then have to abandon it for stupid reasons. You know, I can see why you guys come back beat up so often," He said bemused.

The script mage snickered.

"So I take it you've a plan then?"

Gajeel smirked behind her back.

"Maybe I do, Shrimp," His hand began creeping slowly down her stomach, fingers disappearing under the band of her shorts, massaging her gingerly. Levy tensed a little before grinding her hips wantonly into his hand. "But that's for tomorrow," He whispered into her ear.


	11. Chapter 11

Gajeel had spoken to Jet the next morning about the team situation and his secret plan to improve the dynamic. Jet wasn't exactly one of Gajeel's biggest fans, and that was putting it very, _very_ mildly, but the speed mage respected him as a wizard and knew that on that front at the very least he was a more than capable individual. Even if he was presently dating Levy. Even if the pair of them were off _doing stuff_ in the woods. Rather loudly. Stuff he didn't even want to think about. All within earshot of him and Droy at their campsite. Jet was positive that Gajeel was aware of all this as well. He _knew_ they could hear them. That just made it all the worse, somehow. Capable wizard. But still a giant dickwad of a Human Being sometimes.

Droy had seemed to come to terms with the new status quo much faster than Jet had expected. "But she seems happy?" had been the man's comeback to Jet's last rant. And it was true. Levy was flourishing. She was more confident and from the looks of it, she'd put on at least fifteen pounds of muscle in the last few weeks and was far more relaxed than they'd ever seen her. On missions in the past she would often stay up into the early hours of the morning, reading or studying. Some anxiety or another, or her fear of the dark keeping her awake and restless. Only to leave her lethargic during the day. Utterly exhausted at the end of the mission. Gajeel was a solid sleeper, however. And when he went to bed, he made sure Levy did too. Clutched tightly to him she didn't so much as stir an inch during the night. As long as they'd been friends, Jet had never known Levy snored. She'd never slept that deeply around them before.

As much as he loathed to admit it, he was going to have to start coming to terms with the realization that Levy wasn't a doll that needed to be guarded; it had never even been his responsibility as much as he'd tried to take on the mantle. Gajeel saw it, clear as day. In the pathetic attempt to protect her they'd only held her back. Within a few days of hanging out with them, at most, Gajeel had broken down every single problem at the core of Shadow Gear and had come up with a plan to help them push passed it. They all had issues. Jet could see that now. Although, the plan itself was unsavory. Deceptive. Underhanded. Jet was pretty uncomfortable with the methods Gajeel was going to employ, but if they pulled it off it might improve things in the long run. As one would expect from a Dragon Slayer, much less Gajeel, the game plan was going to ruffle more than a few feathers. The whole thing was _based_ around upsetting them. Jet was just glad he was a speed mage and Gajeel was a larger target, because Levy might be throwing more punches when this all kicked off.

In the early hours of the following morning after a particularly long day's trek and even longer restless night, Jet took off at speed into the darkness; Gajeel cracking one eye open and flashing him a side grin as he left. The Dragon Slayer letting him know that Droy and Levy were still sound asleep. He had ten miles to cover to reach his destination, and then ten back and about thirty minutes to do it before people started rising with the sun. They could have planned for earlier in the night but this close to dawn it would be much easier to explain his absence if the others woke up unexpectedly.

To Gajeel's astonishment Jet returned back to camp less than fifteen minutes after he'd started out. Sweating profusely and huffing violently he collapsed on his bedroll before giving Gajeel a thumbs up. The Dragon Slayer knew the man was fast but he had zero fucking clue that the man was _that_ fast. That was fucking _crazy_.

Levy and Droy woke up at dawn and went about their morning routine none the wiser.

"Any problems I should know about?" Gajeel waited until he couldn't hear Levy before speaking with Jet. Just to be sure that no Dragon Slayer hearing could foul things up before they made it to their destination.

Jet edged closer to Gajeel while he collected their supplies around the fire but didn't look up at him.

"Nothing. It was exactly like you said," Jet seemed surprised. "How'd you know about that anyway?" He asked, curiously.

Gajeel looked up at him in sheer disbelief.

"Do yah even _read_ the mission briefings Levy gives you?"

The reason that Gajeel had known about the rainy hills had been the weather section in the travel plan Levy had written up for them. Every stage of their trip so far had been planned meticulously.

"That thing was over fifty pages long. I have a life you know," He sneered but it soon gave way to a grin. "Though, that makes sense. Typical Levy," He gave Gajeel a sad smile. "She's really something else," In the distance Gajeel could hear Levy and Droy moving through the trees, back in their direction. He could smell the usual nuts and fruits that Droy always seemed to find regardless of their location in the wilderness. Starvation was not a concern of team Shadow Gear. Jet saw his attention drift from the conversation and moved closer, drawing Gajeel back to him.

"You know, If you hurt her…"

"Yeah, yeah, you guys'll kill me? Yadda, yadda," Gajeel interrupted the mage. Neither of them would be able to take him down and he knew it. Jet gave him a grin.

"Oh no. We won't kill you. This _new_ Levy will kill you," He smiled at the look of realization on Gajeel's face. As Dragon behaviour went…that wasn't necessarily an uncommon event. "But us? I'll put her on the other side of Fiore in an hour with an airtight alibi and Droy will bury your body so deep not even the _worms_ will get you," He gave Gajeel a toothy grin. "You're a man with enemies and even Dragon Slayer's have accidents."

Gajeel considered the threat carefully before bursting with laughter. He clapped Jet on the back hard enough that the man staggered.

"You guys are growin' on me, y'know?" Levy came through the treeline before Gajeel zeroed in on something Jet had said before. "Hey, did you say fifty pages? Mine was like... about _five,_ " He stammered, confused. Jet started laughing at him. Gajeel was vaguely aware that Levy had stalled a few feet away. The woman seemed mightily sheepish all of a sudden. Her face had paled significantly.

"That's because she gave you an _abridged_ version," Droy gave Gajeel a conflicted look. The Dragon Slayer couldn't tell if that was pity or jealousy.

" _Abridged?_ " Gajeel asked.

"Well, I wasn't sure you'd even read any of it at all, so it was just the basics," Levy mumbled before hastily grabbing her backpack and scurrying off.

Gajeel's good mood evaporated.

"Whatever," He growled. "Let's just get going," It didn't help that Jet was still grinning like an idiot, clearly finding it more than a little bit amusing that Levy had given Gajeel a simplified copy. As Jet passed by him the Dragon Slayer gave him a warning look.

"Watch it, speedy. Yah ain't grown on me _that_ much," He deadpanned.


	12. Chapter 12

The Delan caves had been in frequent use up until the last upgrade to the rail network. With the new train passing around the mountain overhead it made the shortcut all but unnecessary for most. About three hundred feet up, the railway cut into the rock, winding a path around and to the south. Very few people would choose to trek into an underground labyrinth when they could avoid it with a relatively short train ride in comfort. Though, most people weren't Dragon Slayers. Nor did they make their travel plans with the idea of accommodating Dragon Slayers, either.

Levy had chosen this route specifically for Gajeel's sake. She also hadn't been sure if her current status would leave her afflicted with motion sickness right along with him. It hadn't seemed worth the risk at the time when they could just as easily walk. Diverting to the train from their current route would have cost them all the time the railway trip would have saved them, anyway.

"This isn't right…" She looked on in abject horror at the mouth of the caverns. Hair plastered to her face in anxious sweat. The stench of fear that suddenly permeated the air made Gajeel's stomach lurch it was that potent. He felt a wave of guilt coupled with the need to wrap his arms around her and comfort her, but he swallowed it back down along with the bile crawling up his throat. He might have made different plans if he'd known her fear of the dark was this extreme. No wonder Jet had been so uncomfortable with the idea.

"The lights? The lacrima aren't on. They're supposed to light the way through…"

She looked to him. Wide eyes shining with tears. It was too much for him to take. He'd made a promise never to hurt her again. What the hell was he doing? This was meant to be an obstacle that Droy and Levy would have to tackle head on. It wasn't meant to emotionally cripple her. Gajeel opened his mouth and was about to crumble when an out of sight Jet punched him in the back making him cough; the man choking on his unspoken words.

Jet smiled at her.

"Don't worry Levy, we're all right here. We'll be fine," He said, grinning, hoping to alleviate her terror. Droy on the other hand had approached the cave and was squinting into the blackness.

"Guys, I think we should go around. This doesn't seem very safe,"

Jet sucked in a breath. This was the moment.

"Well, I think we'll be fine. It's just a little darkness. We can light torches if we have too," Jet looked to Gajeel for his support and the Dragon Slayer calmed himself with a control he wasn't quite sure he possessed, before realizing that it was Levy's borrowed strength that probably allowed him to reign it in. He liked the feeling. He enjoyed being in control of situations, apparently that also stretched to encompass self-control as well. It was a good sensation.

"Speedy is right. We'll waste days going round," Gajeel spoke up.

Levy straightened her back and sucked in a steadying breath. The smell of fear didn't abate but she was fighting it.

"Then we go through," She announced shakily. Gajeel could see her small hands tremble, even as she clenched them into tight fists.

"Levy…" Droy began to speak but she silenced him with a single look.

"No more getting side-tracked, Droy. If we can't handle _this_ how the hell are we going to take on an s-class job? I mean really. This is just ridiculous. No more diversions," Anger bubbled up in her words and the fear seemed to subside in the face of it. She seemed frustrated with herself more than anything.

Gajeel had very little experience with this type of pride. To be proud of someone else was another new feeling entirely but he was feeling it. Every time it seemed like he couldn't love this woman more she did something to change his opinion. He found himself frowning, suddenly cut with the knowledge of how much it was going to suck when she found out he'd a hand in this.

With a fire lit torch to conserve magic, Levy lead the group into the darkness with Gajeel taking up the rear. The path through the cave to the other side of the mountain was a two mile route that was normally guided by glowing lacrima. Lacrima that Jet had removed that morning and placed in a bag on the far side. If they found themselves in trouble Gajeel would just follow the speed mage's lingering scent. Not that it would come to that. From Jet's description so long as you kept moving forward you'd get there in the end. All the smaller narrower passageways terminated in the main cavern on the far side, so regardless of what ones you wound up taking in the process you'd still end up where you wanted to be. The hardest part of this was already over. The part where Levy swallowed her fear, forced Droy to swallow his feelings of inadequacy and took charge.

After about ten minutes fumbling through the passageways in the dim torchlight, Gajeel crept quietly up just behind Levy. The woman had become silent, which worried him. Periodically she would stop or turn back momentarily to check around her, panicked that she was now alone but would soon continue on when she realized they were all still there.

When they were about half way the woman stopped completely. Her raised torch drooping to her side. Her breathing had become nothing more than rasps.

"You okay, Shorty?" Gajeel whispered to her.

Levy lifted the torchlight a little higher than before illuminating the bracket on the wall that previously held the lacrima that were now missing, indicating that they were still on the correct path. Gajeel had never even considered this an option but it certainly beat his original plan and certainly explained how she kept them on the right route to begin with.

"They're not broken or dead. Just gone. They were taken," She spared him an unimpressed glance, eyes narrowed and mouth pulled into a tight line. His heart skipped a beat. This wasn't supposed to come out now. Her expression was torture. She was hurting and confused and scared. "Ga-Gajeel?" She stuttered his name like a desperate plea and it was a destructive force the Dragon Slayer had never known before; it was one single word that utterly destroyed him. Because he knew he couldn't give her the explanation she wanted. She'd already remarked on how tired Jet had been that morning. She was piecing this together.

Gajeel was prepared for this conversation but had hoped to be able to broach it quietly at his own pace on the other side of the caves. When Levy would be able to think about it clearly. He knew she'd be angry at him but he also knew that she'd forgive them for it. The timing of this was all wrong. He could hear Droy and Jet talking among themselves further back. Oblivious. _Not now._

The torch suddenly wavered in her hands violently and the Dragon Slayer couldn't tell if it was renewed fear or rage, or both. When he didn't say anything in return, truthfully unable to form the words he wanted to say, she whimpered. She was terrified and the last thing she would want or need would be a sanctimonious lecture about how this was for her own good and how she'd be fine. Gajeel had done this to her. He refused to do any more. She scrutinized his face and that seemed to tell her all she needed. Despite knowing better Gajeel seemed to consistently underestimate her intelligence. Now he had to watch her crumble. Her face twisted in nothing short of unbridled anguish.

"This…this was your plan?" Her small voice cracked with emotion as she choked out the words. She turned away from him so he couldn't see her face but he could still smell the salt in her tears. He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder but she shook it off. Her expression suddenly wild. "Don't…touch me," She snarled. Her breathing now shallow and fast. She wavered on her feet for a moment unable to catch her breath before darting forward with the torch, suddenly desperate to get out of the tunnels.

"Lev, hold up!" He growled.

The Dragon Slayer matched her speed but she was just constantly out of reach as she weaved left and right down the passageways. The harder he chased, the faster she ran. Slipping through his fingers each time he reached out to her before her speed finally slowed; her breathing degrading further leaving her to fumble into the walls of the tunnel in an effort to keep moving as her limbs lost strength. Gajeel caught her when she fell to her knees in a shallow puddle. She batted at his arms but he held onto her as he breathing began to steady. The torch had fallen into the damp earth and to make matters worse its flames had begun to die.

Droy and Jet looked to each other at the rear as the torchlight took off at speed before disappearing around a corner up ahead. As they turned it they found only blackness. Gajeel and Levy were already out of sight and they were alone in the darkness.

"Yeah, this was a bad plan," Jet grumbled.


	13. Chapter 13

Notes

I can't believe there are over 80 people following this. O.O As you might have guessed from the burst of updates I had a little free time over the holidays so I've been writing. I wanted to keep the story as light and as fluffy as I can for the moment. So for the time being apart from occasional smexiness, of which the next chapter is pretty much entirely comprised of, it's fairly light. But even fluff has to have the odd solid bits to keep the story together.

I hope you like the chapter and if you do, give this tired writer a shout out. :* She's had an emotionally _exhausting_ Christmas.

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"You're a fucking asshole, Gajeel!"

Gajeel was frowning into the darkness. He was resolved to weather the anger pouring out of her. She thrashed in his arms and kicked and punched but he was still there, holding her, stroking light fingertips over her messy, dirtied, matted hair. They stayed like that until she'd found some semblance of calm.

Gajeel pulled back to look at her and in the blackness he could see her eyes shut tight. The woman trying to convince herself that the darkness was her doing. A desperate attempt to take back control from the fear gripping her. Gajeel looked around. His eyes falling on the now useless wet torch a few feet away.

"Yah think you can conjure us some light, Levy?"

She didn't speak but instead nodded against his chest and formed the word with an outstretched finger. Gajeel watched it form in blinding capital letters made of pure light. Levy opened her eyes and looked up at him. Her expression was sour but she was regaining composure. The word however only seemed to last for a few seconds at most before it appeared to be drawn toward the wall by some unseen force and absorbed into the stone. Gajeel scented the air and found the unusual taste normally associated with strange metals. He'd have bet his life that there was some sort of magic absorbing ore in the rock.

"Shit…" Gajeel uttered.

Levy seemed to have regained enough of her senses to bolt upright, knocking Gajeel to the floor.

"JET AND DROY!" She yelled in panic and the reverberating sound made both of them wince. The sound bouncing off the walls and ceiling and echoing around them. "I left them behind!" She added, covering her ears.

Gajeel stood and rubbed his face tiredly. This was turning into a particularly bad day.

"It's fine. They're heading this way," Gajeel could hear their footsteps getting closer and as soon as he said the words, Levy realized that if she concentrated, so could she. She looked at the remnants of the torch and winced. Getting out of here was going to take forever without light.

"What the hell?" She sputtered as she brought her hand up in front of her face. She moved her fingers and watched the digits respond. "I can see…" She remarked absently. Dragon Slayer's it seemed, had superb night vision.

"Yeah?" Gajeel asked quietly. "Well, what are yah seeing down there, Shorty?" His tone made it sound like he was mocking her. Anger surged again and she was about to turn on him to let him know how much that wasn't appreciated, considering the ordeal he'd just put her through, but when she looked at him and saw his face she swallowed the rage. She'd seen a lot of different versions of Gajeel in the time she'd known him. She'd seen him at his worst back in Phantom; the cruelty and callousness he was capable of. But she'd also seen him at his best, fighting for Fairytail, standing up against the very things he used to gleefully represent. There was a reason he was made of iron and shadow. Why he could consume what would be poison for everyone else and use it to his advantage. That was a part of who he was; a man made of sharp jagged edges, marred by black stains he couldn't wash out. There was a darkness in him that he didn't try to hide. Although, she was beginning to see that there was a man hiding _inside_ that darkness. Wielding it as a shield.

It was what made his pain and his tears, something priceless. She didn't need to tell him he'd messed up. He knew it.

"I see _you_ ," She whispered to him.

She reached up and wiped the moisture off his cheeks. Levy saw him blush and look away. She smiled but said nothing more about it.

"That's not me forgiving you, by the way," She threw him a serious look all of sudden and he stiffened. "I'll have think up a suitable punishment for you later," She gave him a wink and smiled at the look of shock on his face before his trademark grin replaced it.

Footsteps echoed in the darkness and to Levy's surprise a faint glowing blue light appeared, illuminating the tunnel.

"If you'd just give me the damn torch I could run ahead and find them…LEVY!" Jet forgot what he was saying and rushed ahead, scooping Levy up into a hug; her small feet dangling about a foot off the ground.

"Are you okay?" He set the woman down before hugging her tightly again. The speed mage took this time to glare daggers at Gajeel while Levy started flailing and mumbling about air.

Gajeel wandered up to Droy who was holding what looked at first glance like a twisted branch with a glowing end but on closer inspection, as his eyes adjusted to the searing blue light, he realised it was a root. The bulb of which was emitting the potent glow.

"You guys alright?" The Dragon Slayer asked him and Droy paused in curious thought before answering.

" _We're_ fine. We just thought the worst when Levy bolted," The man gave Gajeel a stern look. "From what Jet described we should be near the end. There's maybe about two hundred yards of these tunnels and then a large cavern and a roped path out," Droy looked Gajeel square in the eye then and said, loud enough for both Jet and Levy to take notice. "You, are a fucking moron, Gajeel!" Before he turned and began making his way in the direction of the exit. The soft glow of his makeshift torch lighting the way.

Levy's eyes were wide and her mouth hung open in shock having never heard Droy curse before. When he'd passed her and she could find her voice again, she put her hands over her mouth and mumbled "Oh no, it's spreading," to which Gajeel burst out laughing and even Jet cracked a smile.

Levy found her sudden night vision fading in and out. At points she could see so clear she would have been hard pressed to tell if it was the torchlight or not aiding her, and at others the darkness seemed all consuming; her eyes having lost the assistance of the Dragon Slayer magic. But even when the darkness swallowed her she found her thoughts drifting back to the memory of Gajeel weeping. Not everything that lurked in the shadows was a monster out to get her.

It was dark when they came out the other side but it may as well have been midday in comparison to the caves. The light emanating from the waxen moon and the stars overhead more than made up for the absence of the sun. The chill in the wind was heaven to Levy who'd sweated more than she thought could be possible down in the airless dark. Her hair whipped about her face in the breeze, her headband lost somewhere in the mountain. She didn't care. She felt free. The woman couldn't quite tell what it was that had been lifted off her shoulders but she felt its absence nonetheless.

Jet moved off to the treeline and came back with glowing sack of lacrima; the ones he'd removed earlier that morning.

"I'll just be a minute putting these back. When I was here this morning I set up a little firepit over there by those large rocks. I figured we'd probably be better off taking a break for the day when we got out," He released his dishevelled hair and ran his fingers through it to straighten it out before reaffixing the knot on the top of his head.

Then the speed mage was gone and Gajeel was left yelling after him into the cavern.

"BUT YOU WERE ONLY GONE FIFTEEN MINUTES!"

Sulking unhappily, Gajeel went back to his bag and began pulling things out looking for a cleaner shirt. Something to replace the one he was currently wearing which happened to smell like baked sweat and was driving his nose crazy.

The Dragon Slayer dumped the rancid garment at his feet sniffing the spares as he pulled them out. Huffing with displeasure as each one smelled worse than the one before it.

Unknown to him, Levy was standing, staring at the scene. Transfixed as the moonlight glinted off his piercings and confused as to why she was having a hard time pulling her gaze away from the V shape on his abdomen; the one disappearing into his low slung black pants.

Droy said something to her that she didn't hear and she mumbled an apology without ever even looking away from Gajeel.

"Sorry Droy?"

The man came and stood beside her and joined the Dragon Slayer's audience, sighing.

"It's not important," He looked at her and smiled as Gajeel managed to drop a pan on his bare foot; the man in question yelping as he hopped around hopelessly. "If I liked men, I'd probably have the hots for him as well," He laughed.

Levy turned to Droy, eyes wide and cheeks the colour of pickled beets.

"Oh by _Mavis_ ," She slapped him on the arm. "He can _hear_ you, Droy!"

Droy's face fell.

In the maze of tunnels underground, Jet could swear he heard Gajeel's laughter echoing off the stone.


	14. Bonus

Notes

 **deblovesdragon -** This is a little bonus mini chapter for you. I was going to put it further along in the story but there you go. Thank you for the review! And sorry for the rage! ;P

* * *

Gajeel was a sound sleeper. It was something that had always stuck with him from childhood. He knew it was the same with Natsu. Growing up in the care of a Dragon resulted in a number of unavoidable occurrences. For starters, Gajeel could sleep pretty much anywhere. In a tree. In a cave. On a Dragon's head. No problems. He was also a very deep sleeper. Dragons tended to make a lot of noise, even while unconscious, so you learned to get used to a lot of background sound. To top those off, there was never any fear associated with slumber that one would expect with any other small child growing up in the woods without Human contact. After all, there was nothing out there that could contend with a Dragon, nor would be stupid enough to try. Much less with Metalicana. A Dragon with a spotty reputation even among his own kind.

So when Gajeel went to sleep with Levy in his arms you could bet that he wasn't stirring for anything other than the apocalypse.

Getting water poured on him while he slept seemed to do the trick though.

"Rise and shine, Gajeel!"

The Dragon slayer leapt to his feet snarling and coughing. His now wet hair slapping over his face and covering his eyes. The sound of Levy giggling stopped his unholy rampage before it started. His first instinct was to obliterate everything in range.

"What the _fuck_ was that?" He snarled at the woman. Droy, who was standing off to the side behind Levy took a few more worried steps back but Levy smiled sweetly, rocking back and forth on her feet, hands clutched behind her.

"Your new wake-up call while I'm figuring out your sentence for that crap you pulled in the caves," She responded jovially.

Gajeel glared at her in silence. Spitting a few stray strands of hair out of his mouth as he tried to compose himself. He spotted Jet sitting beside the still warm campfire trying to dry himself off. He looked like a drowned orange rat. The Dragon Slayer couldn't quite decide if it comforted him or not to know that Jet got the same treatment. Gajeel settled on the later.

"Fine. I deserve it. Why's _he_ wet?" He asked. In all honesty it had been his plan and Jet had been against it from the start but had been _just_ desperate enough to be convinced. "It was my idea," Gajeel cracked a grin that served only to annoy Levy. "Besides, I ain't afraid of getting a little _wet_ , _Shrimp_ ," He retorted with unusual smugness.

"Your accomplice is wet because he was your accomplice, Gajeel," She stated matter-of-factly. Levy absently realized Gajeel was trying to cover up the fact that he'd just intentionally tried to commute Jet's sentence with an extra serving of his usual grating personality. It was sweet. Not sweet enough to earn him a pass on this one. But sweet enough for something.

"Fine…Jet stays dry," Her fingers moved almost unseen and what Gajeel reckoned was about three or four gallons of water fell from the sky and drenched him.

He'd been hoping when she winked at him in the caves it had been one of those sexy time punishment winks. Unfortunately, it was one of those 'Imma ruin your week and laugh doing it' ones. She really was his perfect woman.

Jet stood up after Levy stormed off and passed Gajeel his own waterproof poncho.

"Thanks man. I think you're going to need this for a while,"

Gajeel took the poncho and groaned. He'd no more dry clean clothes left and he was fairly sure that Levy knew that.


	15. Chapter 14

Notes

the-lionness- I _love_ the ridiculous! Lol Thank you so much for the review. They're my favorite couple. I love the fact that when you crack Levy open she's this unconquerable force of good nature and Gajeel is secretly so uncertain and vulnerable at the core with this almost crippling need to prove himself. Its probably one of the most interesting pairings out there.

deblovesdragon- I'm really glad you liked it. ;) Maybe if Gajeel's good Levy will script him up some detergent. Lol

* * *

At the end of the day Gajeel wasn't sure he could remember what it felt like to be dry. Every time he opened his mouth Levy drenched him. The Dragon Slayer was fairly sure the only reason she even took breaks was when she ran out of magic and needed to recharge. His skin was raw from the constant soaking and perspiration. The climbing temperatures were hell and the strap from his bag had actually begun to chaff so badly that he was reduced to covering himself in patches of iron scale, but even he wasn't able to keep that up for as long as he would have needed.

He marched along in silence, however, as much as he might have wanted to complain he knew that he deserved this and much worse. He was lucky she didn't attempt to kick the teeth out of his head for what he'd put her through.

When they stopped in the afternoon, Gajeel took off on his own to dry out a little and hopefully give his skin a chance to begin healing. They were almost at their destination; the temple they were clearing out was just in sight. Levy had already decided that the group could have a day to rest before they proceeded on. Gajeel was definitely going to need it. Part of the reason he'd been so concerned with the sorry state of Shadow Gear had been the potential danger of the job Makarov had handed out. These were the kinds of missions that got mages killed.

He stretched out his clothes on a flat, nearby rock face to dry in the sun and started applying the salve Droy had made for him when he'd caught a glimpse of the spreading rash on the Dragon Slayer's back. Gajeel was grateful for it. It helped. The mage certainly knew his plants. He reckoned that Droy would have been the only person in all of Fiore that could be sent into the woods with absolutely zero supplies and come back having _gained_ weight. He was growing to admire Levy's two fools. They weren't quite the useless morons he liked to make them out to be.

"Oh!" Levy came bursting through the treeline; sliding to a stop so suddenly she almost fell. Gajeel didn't bother turning round or replying. He hadn't finished treating the worst of the rash and he wasn't in the humour to get wet again. The woman had been storming off somewhere when she'd interrupted him, who knew why. They hadn't exactly been in the best of moods and rightly so, Jet and Droy were on edge with the sudden irritability of the pair. Gajeel gave her nothing more than a grunt in acknowledgement before going back to the weeping abrasion peaking over the edge of his boxers and currently in the process of scabbing over with the help of Droy's wonder cream.

He heard her breath hitch as she approached him and felt her fingers caress the raw skin on the small of his back.

"I'm so sorry…this, this was _cruel_ ," She whispered to him, fingers tracing the skin around the painful red marks. "I don't think I've ever been this vindictive before," Her voice sounded so small.

"I _have_ ," Was his only response. The negativity between them the last few days had taken a toll on both mages. Not to mention the fact that everyone had been walking around on egg shells as their collective mood worsened.

Neither said anything when she plucked the jar out of his hands and began applying it to the areas of his body that Gajeel knew very well he would never have been able to reach on his own. He didn't know how this worked. Who should apologise first. Did she even have anything to apologise for? Did this make them even? Was it even right to start thinking in terms like that? He genuinely didn't know, but at that point all he knew was that the feeling of her hands on his back were a kind of heaven all on their own.

"I don't want to do this anymore," She sputtered suddenly. Gajeel coughed, choking on his own breath but she jumped in again before he could say anything. "I don't mean _us_ ," The man hadn't ever known true panic before until she said those words and even now that she'd clarified his heart was still hammering against his ribs. "These violent little cycles." She explained. "That's not how I do things. That's not how I _want_ to do things," She sighed, moving around to face him, gently applying more salve to the area just underneath his collar. "I don't just want a Dragon relationship with a Dragon Slayer," She leaned down and left a light, feathery kiss on his lips. "I want a regular one," She paused. "I want honesty and I want to be able to talk things out."

He reached out and guided her head back, slipping his tongue passed her open lips and relishing the long, breathy moan she made. Her hands wound around his neck and Gajeel found himself standing, moving toward the rock where his mostly dry shirt was still lingering in the heat of the sun; carrying the woman. He set her down on the stone and lay down beside her after tossing his shirt over his head and donning his pants. He couldn't stop the smirk on his face at the look of disappointment in her eyes as he dressed himself.

"Honesty, huh?" He asked her sombrely. She nodded, tracing his jaw with her fingers and moving the strands of hair left lingering on his cheeks behind his ears before laying against him; resting her head on his shoulder. He looked at her briefly before turning his gaze skyward again. "The truth…"He paused uncertainly and the vulnerability when his voice tremored made Levy take sudden note. "The truth is that I don't just _like_ yah," He blushed and Levy's mouth fell open.

Gajeel let out a pained sigh when there was no immediate response. He closed his eyes and waited. He felt her sit up in silence and his stomach dropped in a painful lurch.

"Hey?" His eyes snapped open as she succeeded in getting his attention. She threw one leg over his hips to straddle him before blushing. "I don't _just_ like you, either, you big lug," She smiled warmly at him. "Mavis knows there are other guys out there that aren't this much trouble," She laughed in exasperation.

Gajeel looked up at her face. Sunlight streamed through the loose strands of blue hair framing her blushing smile and he let out the breath he didn't know he'd still been holding. She was so incredibly, breathtakingly beautiful, in quite literally every way. And he loved her. He wanted a future with her more than he'd ever wanted anything before. He no longer cared that it might be something he didn't deserve. Everyone had flaws, and if he could have something this good in his life he was willing to admit his would be selfishness.

His hands found themselves resting on the warm skin of her bare thighs, absently he traced calloused fingertips down to her knees and back again. She closed her eyes and hummed in pleasure and the sound was the most alluring kind of music. Carefully, he brought his hands higher and moved across the front of her legs to caress the more sensitive skin on the inside, brushing his thumb over the front of her womanhood, under her shorts. She rolled her hips against his in response and his hands stalled, gripping her thighs tightly he growled low.

"Does...this mean I'm forgiven, gihi," Gajeel chuckled, one eye open, the other closed in rapture.

Levy gave him a half smile before leaning down and kissing him hard, her hands finding their way into his hair and pulling him up against her. Gajeel wrapped his arms around her small frame and crushed her to his chest, his hands sliding up her back under her top, only to playfully tug at the clasp of her bra. Levy smiled against his lips before pulling back.

"Nuhh uhh," She tutted. Gajeel sighed with a half grin before letting himself fall back to stare at her. If she wanted to go slow, he'd go slow.

Gently she took him by the wrists and pinned his hands either side of his head before grinding her hips against him softly. The heat and the light friction set every nerve in Gajeel's body on fire. He moaned low between clenched teeth. The things this woman _did_ to him. His pants felt suddenly almost unbearably tight. Releasing his arms she sat back and arched against him again making a gutteral, satisfied noise in the back of her throat. The sudden forwardness was somewhat thrilling. Gajeel growled in outright _want_. Desperate for more. More contact. More sensation. He wanted every part of her. And from the desire on her face his feelings were returned.

His hands came up again and glided along her ribs with delicate strokes before she brushed them playfully away once more. He quirked an eyebrow at her and she looked away sheepishly before coming to some sort of decision with a devious smile that left Gajeel wondering what it was she was actually up to.

Carefully she moved backward, breaking the delicious heat that had been growing between them. Sitting across his thighs she dragged her nails lightly down his chest before letting them linger over his swollen erection, tracing small circles over him through the fabric.

"Fucking hell.." Gajeel whispered.

She applied a little more pressure as she palmed him; encompassing the shaft of his penis completely under firm fingers as she began to stroke the outline of his erection.

"Ehhh...guys?"

Levy threw herself off Gajeel's lap so fast she lost her balance and toppled off the rock completely; disappearing out of sight with a painful exclamation.

Gajeel sat up slowly. The fires of hell burning behind his eyes. His expression promising painful, torturous murder.

Droy hiccuped with nerves.

"I just wanted to let you know we moved camp to dryer ground like you wanted, Levy," He was suddenly very sure he needed to be elsewhere. He laughed nervously under the weight of Gajeel's still impressively scary glare. "You were totally right, Levy, we couldn't get a fire started there."

A small, somewhat frustrated, bodiless voice answered the man.

" _Thanks_ , Droy,"


	16. Chapter 15

Notes

Almost 100 follows and all those reviews! Oh wow! I am so humbled. XD You guys are the greatest! This is a cheeky little fluffy chapter while I work on the logistics of the next one. Its a bit of a doozy. A bit of a beast you might say. So its been a bit of work in writing it up.

Hope you enjoy!

Special shout outs to **afeltyz, Cobblet, RedBexley, AbbeneyK, Usweasil, veronica. I. browning, Spakona, Mskumiko24, the-lionness, Desna** and last but certainly not least, the ever wonderful **deblovesdragon**.

You guys keep me writing. It wouldn't be possible without all the support.

* * *

The day had been pretty uneventful. They woke up that morning, ate breakfast and tried to take some time to prepare themselves. Jet spent the most part of the day sleeping while Droy organized their collective supplies. Gajeel took Levy aside to try and get in some sparring practice but she wasn't having any of it. Instead, she made an attempt at some brief, overly polite conversation and started a trek around their camp. Circling them in a wide half-mile arc that Gajeel tracked at distance. A behaviour he'd learned to associated with nervousness. He'd seen similar from her back in Magnolia. The camp was tense and that was putting it mildly. Gajeel could understand why. S-class mission. Mysterious beast no-one had survived to describe. Ancient temple in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't one of those missions that gave you warm fuzzy feelings to think about. They had literally no idea what they were walking into.

That evening no one spoke before bed. Dinner was a silent affair and Levy barely acknowledged anyone, only accepting the prospect of sleep when Gajeel tripped her into the bedroll with him; lifting her into their sleeping bag amid some grouchy halfhearted grumbling.

At some point in the night, something woke Gajeel up. He couldn't remember what he'd been dreaming before his eyelids began cracking open, squinting against the still bright fire, but he was fairly sure it was somewhat seedy in nature. The tightness to his pants gave it away. He cursed his luck because Levy was still pressed tightly against his chest, sleeping. Gajeel paused, staring at a fixed point ahead in disbelief when ever so slightly she ground her posterior into his twitching hips again. It was so subtle you'd never have even seen her move, but he felt every millimeter of it. The Dragon Slayer was _wide_ awake now. _Well, that certainly explains that._

He absently thought about speaking but a glance at Jet and Droy's sleeping forms changed his mind. He moved his hand down to her hip and tried to position it between her rear end and his now swelling erection. It was a mistake. As soon as his digits made contact her entire body arched, forcibly driving her backside into his open palm and earning a sputtered curse as Gajeel tried and failed to take back some control of the situation. He was wondering if she was awake or asleep when she reached behind her, took hold of his hands and ran them sensually up her tank top, trailing them along her bare skin. Partially concealed in the sleeping bag, Gajeel traced his fingers lightly across her erect nipples and growled low. His breath brushing her ear.

"I ain't exactly the right one to be sayin' this, short stuff, but are yah really sure you want to be messin' about right here, with those two just a few feet away?" He whispered breathlessly in her ear.

Levy leaned her head back into the crux of his shoulder and turned her face just enough to run her tongue over his earlobe.

"The only thing I'm sure of right now is that tomorrow we could all be dead and I _want_ you," She said quietly to him.

Gajeel tensed before bringing his hands back down to her waist and turning her to face him in the sleeping bag. He liked to believe that he knew her well enough to know that this wasn't her _._ It was safe to say that among his numerous abilities he couldn't predict the future, but even he could see what was happening here. He didn't want her to be making any decisions she wasn't entirely comfortable making, because what she was alluding to was a little more than fooling around.

"And if we aren't dead tomorrow?" He asked her seriously and her expression sobered, hands stilling, though she didn't reply. "That's what I thought," He intoned. If he'd thought she was thinking clearly he would have picked her up and disappeared into the woods and more than likely scarred Jet and Droy for the remainder of their natural lives. Unfortunately, he wasn't entirely sure she'd seriously considered this. The statement deflated her completely. She ground her teeth behind tight lips and looked away from him.

He was right and she was very well aware of it. She felt a sudden bout of shame. If she was going to make Gajeel a permanent part of her life, it shouldn't be because of something like this. He deserved better.

"What the hell am I doing?" She asked no one in particular with more than a little self-disgust, burying her face into his warm chest, eyes shining with tears.

"It's fine, Shrimp, tomorrow's a big day," He smiled, hugging her tightly. Gajeel's eyes fell on Jet and Droy still fast asleep and his smile morphed into something more feral. Leaning down he nestled his face in the crook of her neck and nipped the skin lightly. "Though, if you're lookin' for a distraction I _might_ be able to help you out," He dragged his tongue up to her ear sucking on her lobe, grazing his teeth over the sensitive flesh. "It's never a good idea to go into a fight this tense, anyway," He hissed to her.

Levy could barely think. The memory of Gajeel's hands bringing her to climax the previous night smothered most other thoughts. All bar the one that Gajeel had been right to be concerned with; Jet and Droy barely twenty feet away.

"I think maybe here isn't the best place," She half whined.

If she'd been expecting some sort of protest she didn't get it, instead his soft chuckle and a quick kiss to the temple rendered her confused.

" _There's_ my favorite Shrimp," He mocked. Levy's eyes widened in exaggerated horror.

"Did you just bait me? Gajeel?"

Gajeel didn't respond, instead he simply closed his eyes with a tired sigh that morphed into a yawn. Levy gave him a sharp elbow. And he cracked an eye open.

" _Hey_ , I was just checking you were still in there somewhere _,_ gihee," He smirked.

"You're a fucking _jerk,_ Gajeel!" She huffed though her words lacked any real venom, instead choosing to burrow closer to him.

"Oh _yeah_?" He asked.

Levy was in the process of a comeback when a frustrated groan silenced her from the other side of the dying fire. Hidden inside a sleeping bag.

"Please, either go have sex already or go to sleep!" Jet flailed his arms dramatically and both Gajeel and Levy turned matching shades of embarressed, deep cherry red.


	17. Chapter 16

Notes

I know, I know. And I don't mean to be a tease but Levy and Gajeel are kinda stuck in each others orbit, spinning around faster and faster. Eventually they'll either build up so much momentum they'll break away or they'll collide. So here they are spinning. Gravity pulling them in closer and closer.

Again! I love you guys so much. Sorry about the shortness of the previous chapter. It didn't feel right combining it with this segment so I figured just put it out there.

This one is a tad longer. Hopefully it'll make up for the last one. Just a warning. There's going to be actual story for a little bit.

* * *

Of all the towns and temples, cities and ruins that Levy had traveled to, she couldn't quite recall ever seeing a place as beautiful as the the Temple of Dorah. For a mile surrounding the ancient ruin there was nothing less than the densest forest imaginable. Undergrowth so thick that it made movement forward slow and exceedingly difficult. Whatever magic permeated this place, the plants and trees grew fast, so fast in fact that their route in would more than likely have been covered over by the time they were leaving. Gajeel had spent hours hacking away with an iron sword while Droy used vines and fast growing thorns to create a passageway to the gates of the abandoned temple. It might not last more than a few days, but Levy didn't see them taking that long. She had a feeling that this mission would be a brief one, regardless of the outcome.

Emerging from the trees the first thing that struck them all were the enormous stone guardians framing either side of the main entrance. Plants and vine covered every square inch of the front of the structure itself, but the statues remained untouched. Gajeel stopped and set down his bag to examine them and Levy couldn't figure out what he was thinking. His face was a mask even she wasn't able to read, and she'd become rather good at it the last few months. The script mage absently realised that he might have been considering the same thing she was; that this job had been fair less random than they'd been made out to believe. After all, Makarov had sent her team and a Dragon Slayer to what was clearly a Dragon temple judging from the life-sized statues guarding the entrance. One stone goliath with it's head pointing skyward, fanged jaw open wide in mid roar and it's wings outspread, the second hunched low to the ground, as though it were stalking prey. Enormous hollow eyes boring into the travelers in a rather accusatory fashion. She let her eyes drift along the front of the ruin. It was hundreds of feet high, disappearing into the mountain. Gajeel stood motionless for several minutes, staring into the face of the crouched Dragon. Levy was about to say something when Droy tapped Gajeel on the shoulder, breaking him out of his trance.

"I don't think that's a staring contest you're going to win," He offered with a smile and Gajeel cracked him a grin in reply, picking up his backpack.

"Probably not," The Dragon Slayer gave a low rumbling chuckle but the smile never reached his eyes. The stone guardians left him feeling uneasy. Why? He couldn't exactly say. It may have even been the temple itself that set his nerves on edge and not necessarily the statues at all, but what he did know was that when he looked at them he felt an indescribable urge to reduce them to rubble. To pound them into dust.

It seemed like Gajeel wasn't the only one concerned about their overseers.

"That one's looking at us like it's gonna come alive and eat us," Jet murmured just loud enough for Gajeel to hear.

"I was worried I was gonna be the only one concerned about that, but yeah," Gajeel ran a hand through his hair, brushing the sweaty strands plastered to his skin, out of his face. He looked to Jet and let out a worried hiss of air. His breath coming out in a huff. "This place don't look like any temple I've ever seen," He looked back up at the stone Dragon that so offended his sense of calm and tried to silence the anxious voices in his head. "Temples are built for worship, and this place was made for Dragons, so who would a Dragon worship?" Jet paused in thought, looking at Gajeel curiously. A different light to his eyes.

"From what I saw in Crocus? Nothing," He made the connections. He saw where Gajeel was coming from. "So if this place isn't a Dragon temple, what the hell is it?" He asked, worriedly.

Gajeel shook his head.

"I don't know," The Dragon Slayer figured that sooner rather than later they'd figure it out. That made him chuckle. Much to Jet's confusion.

The speed mage glanced ahead as Droy helped Levy take some stencils of the hieroglyphs on the bases of the statues.

"Sorry about this morning, by the way," Gajeel turned to Jet, not really comprehending what he was talking about. Jet was rubbing his neck awkwardly, looking at his feet. "I know that it's a big deal for you guys... I guess I'm not a morning person," Gajeel suddenly realised with painful clarity what Jet was talking about and the hot flush let him know just how pink his face had actually turned in reply. He couldn't form words to respond. Instead opting for a silent open and closing of his mouth. Jet's eyes widened and he burst out laughing.

"Oh wow, you two are so alike. I can't believe I didn't notice it before," He smiled, genuinely smiled at Gajeel. The Dragon Slayer narrowed his eyes warily.

"It's just Dragon Slayer magic," Gajeel blurted out and one of Jet's eyebrows rose in question.

"No, dude, it really isn't. You act all tough, hey, maybe you _are_ , but there's a Levy in there. A weird, socially awkward, Levy," He reasoned.

Gajeel frowned. Was that a compliment? In a past age he would have probably taken offense to the idea, but he was a different man these days, and he just couldn't equate anything to do with her as anything but good.

"I _guess_ I'll take that as a compliment, flyboy," He finally answered, still not entirely certain either way.

"You should, Levy's one of the greatest people I know," He walked passed him and patted him once on the back. "You make her happy...and she deserves to be happy," A sadness crept into his eyes. "I think you do too,"

Gajeel stood stunned. So many conflicting emotions all hit him simultaneously. He had no right to expect anything but disdain from this man. None. Instead he'd just been hit with something so foreign a feeling. Compassion, empathy, they were all so new to him. He was only just learning to show them to others. Being on the receiving end of it was all still so strange to him. Jet's earnest consideration shook him to the core.

"Levy considers you like brothers, or something..." Gajeel crossed his arms. Schooling himself into a hard, unreadable mask, hoping it didn't falter. He turned, preparing to walk away and do a perimeter search, just in case. When he was sure Jet couldn't see his cracking expression, he continued. "...never wanted brothers or anything myself, but I guess I'm stuck with you guys. So fuck it, just, don't expect me at whatever passes as family gatherings or shit," Gajeel smiled to no one in particular, and only when he was satisfied that no one could see him.

It was now Jet's turn to stare wide eyed and open mouthed at Gajeel's retreating back. Droy had finished with his half of the stencils and while Levy was trying to decipher the symbols' meaning, he was considering maybe finding someplace to stash their supplies. He waved a hand in front of Jet's face when the man failed to respond to him.

"Earthland to Jet?" Jet blinked stupidly a few times. "Hey, what was that all about?" He asked him.

"I think Gajeel just called us brothers," Jet couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth.

"Wow," Droy muttered.

"Yeah, fucking _madness_."

* * *

Team Shadow Gear waited until Gajeel got back and gave them as much of an all clear as he could. They'd really no way of knowing if something was going to come up behind them once they entered the ruins, they could only trust him that there was nothing obvious like bandits or treasure hunters waiting in the wings to sneak up on them. So far no one had made it back from this place alive. The job was direct from the magic council who'd only taken an interest as one of their best researchers had perished a short distance from the ruins. He'd made it a few miles from the surrounding forest, just in sight of the railway line and then fallen to his injuries. Blunt force trauma, mostly. The man's healing magic had only done so much but his insides had been pulped.

As much as even the toughest treasure hunting guild might have been tempted by whatever was worth protecting in Dorah, the place had a particularly dark reputation. If Gajeel had of had his choice of people for this mission, he would have asked Erza and Laxus. Makarov was fucking _crazy_ for even taking this flyer anywhere near Shadow Gear.

The entrance to the enormous structure opened up into the biggest hall Gajeel had ever seen. Pillars as wide as houses lined the expanse and you could have fit the cathedral in Magnolia between each of them. Gajeel placed his hands on the floor to check for any vibrations but there was nothing telling. The floor was obsidian. Solid obsidian. No Human craftsmen built this place.

Levy was sullen. She'd been unable to decipher the glyphs they'd discovered outside. She had literally, _literally_ , never seen anything even remotely like them before and considering she could read and write fluently in over forty different languages, including a dozen ancient dead ones, it was somewhat irritating. Though, the woman could admit she was looking forward to the prospect of learning something no one else in Fiore did. The challenge excited her. She doubted that was even Gajeel's influence, either, the written word was her specialty. She wasn't about to let an opportunity like this slip by because of something as everyday as potential death.

Levy laughed at herself. The life of a Fairy Tail wizard.

"Is it just me, Gajeel, or is it much brighter in here than it should be," She asked.

The area was enormous, by all rights beyond the entrance it should have been pitch black the further in you got, but it wasn't, instead a pale blue glow lit the darkened corners just well enough to see.

"It's helio root! Look!" An excited Droy drew everyone's attention to the floors and walls. The obsidian had cracked in places, the blue glow was emanating from the bulbs of a plant they'd already become acquainted with. It shouldn't have been possible for cracks to form at all, it was a testament to age and the sheer unstoppable force that was nature itself. The roots were growing up through the fissures, widening them, causing others to form in turn. And the cracks had then made their way up the walls and the pillars.

Gajeel sniffed the air and coughed a little. Levy followed suit and even in the dim lighting they could see her pale. She turned away from them and heaved. Her breakfast coming up in congealed, bilious streams, splashing the stone.

"What the hell is that?" She wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve.

"Decomposition, shorty," Gajeel said. "A hell of a _lot_ of decomposition,"

"Like plants or something, Gajeel?" Droy's voice was barely a squeak.

"If by plants you mean people, then sure. Plants."


	18. Chapter 17

Notes

I'm so unbelievably glad that you folks are liking it so far. I know Jet in particular tends to get written a certain way. Jealous, overbearing and often times just resentful of any kind of Levy relationship that isn't with him. I just don't see her or anyone in Fairy Tail tolerating that to be honest. As a middle-aged woman with an unspecified and somewhat scary number of years of experience, I can tell you that a guy hanging round you being friendly in the hopes that you'll suddenly change your mind, see the light and fall helplessly into their arms is simultaneously not worth the effort and not a decent friend to begin with. A prospective partner shouldn't look at you and see a challenge. Just some old person advice there. LOL While Jet might feel put out by the fact that her and Gajeel are an item I wouldn't imagine him begrudging her any kind of love, not even on his darkest day. For all their flaws, him and Droy seem like good people, and committed friends. Just my two cents.

The next few chapters are going to be a little dark. I won't say scary. Maybe a little unsettling? Sorry if the ending of the last chapter felt a bit too much like a slap in the face with a wet fish for some. Some times my tendency towards horror kinda sneaks up on me. Don't worry though, it isn't that kinda story and there's a kind of punchline coming.

* * *

For the sake of everyone's nerves, including his own, though he'd have died before admitting it, Gajeel had conceded that the smell _may_ have just been some animals that had wandered in, or any number of other possible things. No one outright said they didn't believe him. He certainly didn't himself. But the vague possibility that there weren't mounds of dead people somewhere in the general vicinity was enough to keep them moving inward. The disturbing smell lingered for a only a short time before it started fading. In fact, the deeper they moved into the place the less pronounced it became, which seemed to encourage them to keep moving forward. After what seemed like an eternity of walking in silence they made it to the far side of the expanse, to an archway that must have been two hundred feet high and half that across. Gajeel's eyes were able to make out more of the same glyphs from outside lining the outermost edge of the gigantic doorway. Beyond the arch, the floor began a slope downward. The ruin was turning out to be far larger than anyone had predicted. Levy had a sneaking suspicion that the bulk of the ruin wasn't in the mountain at all but probably a great distance under it. This might take them longer than originally predicted. She frowned when she thought about having to hack their way back out of the woods, but felt herself go blank considering the probability that they'd even make it back to the woods at all.

Gajeel made them stop at the arch and put his palm to the floor again. His brow creasing with worry. He felt nothing. With his palm still outstretched on the slick stone he made his other fist into a hammer and slammed it down hard against the rock. Where you would have expected a thunderous crash from the impact there was only a very dull thunk instead.

"That's not possible..." Levy whispered.

She'd realized from the beginning that the black obsidian looking stone didn't necessarily behave like it should have. Despite the size of most of the rooms and corridors, nothing echoed. Even standing close by, talking to each other, their voices didn't carry the way one would expect in abject silence. Levy realized as soon as Gajeel did that the surprisingly warm black surface was absorbing it all. To a certain extent, even the ethereal blue light that bathed them, because here there were no cracks but yet the light seemed to creep along the stones regardless.

"It's like the floors and the walls are alive, soaking up all the energy," Droy said in wonder. "Like plants taking up water,"

"This place was built by a Dragon," Gajeel remarked offhandedly. The iron he produced had unusual properties as well.

"An _obsidian_ _Dragon?_ " Levy added with more excitement than the others could understand.

Gajeel gave her a concerned look.

"Yeah, let's not wet ourselves with happiness here. If it is, and it's still around, then we might be in trouble, short stuff," Gajeel groaned running his hands through his hair. He looked at Levy and the others and felt his chest constrict at the thought of something happening to them. He'd been brought up by a Dragon, he knew better than anyone that they were a mixed bag of potential calamity and possible death. Some of them tolerated Humans. Quite a lot of them didn't. Almost none of them would take trespass lightly. They could easily be mistaken as nothing more than thieves. "We should get out of here before the home owner turns up to kick us out," The Dragon Slayer's words were lighter than the tone that carried them. "We're gonna need some backup."

Shadow Gear exchanged a silent look between themselves. If Gajeel was advocating a retreat the situation was a serious one. Jet and Droy looked to Levy. She straightened the hem of her tank top and wiped her sweaty palms on the front of her shorts.

"Agreed," They'd already found out more than anyone else and the ruins weren't going anywhere. There was no reason to risk their lives so needlessly. "I think I got a lot from the glyphs outside. I may need Freed's help to go over...them," Levy paused. Her expression confused. She shuddered uncontrollably. Her balance wavering.

"Levy!?" Jet was at her side in an instant, supporting her. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" He looked to Gajeel but the Dragon Slayer wasn't even looking at them, instead his eyes were fixed back the way they came. His shoulders tense and his breathing rapid.

"Gajeel!" Jet tried to get his attention but he didn't even turn.

Levy sucked in a breath, steadying herself from the unexpected and out of the blue burst of adrenaline. The woman shrugged out of Jet's arms. She took a step forward towards the Dragon Slayer focusing on the same thing he'd seen. Picking out the general shape in the pale light. Her eyes wide and panicked.

"RUN!" Gajeel turned and roared at them, moving through the arch at speed. Levy turned and grabbed the sleeve of Droy's shirt and tugged for all she was worth, following him. Jet stood rooted to the floor trying to see whatever it was that Gajeel and Levy had spotted. The dim blue light made it difficult to identify anything of detail. He heard his name being yelled from behind him but he wasn't worried. They wouldn't be able to outrun him; he knew he'd be able to catch up to them in a heartbeat. When he still couldn't see anything he turned to check for the others, but something moved then, catching just in the peripherals of his vision as he made to look away. He stopped himself mid-turn, scanning left to right for several long seconds but he still couldn't make much out.

He realized when he heard the long scraping sound on the stone that whatever was causing it had to have been _close_ with the way the rock soaked up noise. With an almost out of body feeling of fascination he watched a head slip down and around the nearest pillar. It was almost indistinguishable from the obsidian around it. The stone Dragon moved looking more like a shadow than anything. It's enormous body was crouched low, almost flush with the floor. Moving slowly like a cat. Stalking it's prey. It was close enough now that he could see the glistening black teeth in it's expressionless skull. Wings pressed tightly to it's back. When it realized it had been spotted it stood up straight. The movement turned Jet's legs to jelly as he found himself cowed by the sheer size of it. Motionless, he stared into it's empty eyes. His body rooted to the ground by an invisible force. It opened it's mouth as though to roar but nothing came out and the silence was more terrifying than any sound Jet could have imagined it making in his wildest nightmares.

It was only the extensive years of dedicated training that saw him move a moment before a second black tail struck the stone where he'd been not a breath before; the mage stumbling onto his backside a few feet away as the jagged limb was withdrawn. The decline of the floor having caused him to lose his footing. The impact had been all but silent. Eyes wide with horror Jet watched as another form dropped from above, much closer to him than the first. The force that had paralyzed him evaporated instantly, flooding him with an all consuming, terror fueled need to flee.

Clambering to his feet he ran, he didn't look back to see if they were following. He just ran faster than he'd ever run before. Muttering under his breath as he ran.

" _Fucking Dragons..."_


	19. Chapter 18

Notes

I'm not one of those writers that will leave you folks with a cliffhanger for long. :) Chances are that if there's a cliffhanger at the end of a chapter I've posted I'll already have the next one mostly ready to go. Even _posting_ cliffhangers gives me anxiety. lol

I am actually _giddy_ with all the reviews I've gotten. **Desna** your review actually made me squeal, loudly. :D And I absolutely loath pointless deaths in stories. Life can sometimes be cruel like that. But that's life, and this is fiction. And I'm not going to be giving any one the axe just for the sake of eliciting some emotion from people. Resorting to hurting or killing characters to get some feelings out of folk can be pretty cheap. Besides, I can do more with living characters than dead ones. Hope you all enjoy another little update. There's a stone Dragon battle looming on the horizon.

* * *

Jet's cursing was loud enough that even in this crazy, crazy place, Gajeel heard him. They weren't going to be able to outrun the two creatures chasing them for very long. They needed to find some place to hide and come up with a plan to beat them.

"Over here!" Levy pulled a slightly out of breath Droy sharply to the right side of the passageway where she'd spotted a fissure in the rock. At first glance it looked just like the rest, a crack in the unyielding stone, but Gajeel saw what Levy did. Unlike the rest, this opening seemed to lead into another area entirely. Even better, it was large enough for them to fit through. The Dragon Slayer had no idea where it went but turning back up the corridor he watched as a panicked Jet exploded round a corner, the two giant stone beasts bounding after him and Gajeel made a decision to chance it. The speed mage was yelling and cursing. If the creatures following him weren't enough to make his blood run cold he'd have laughed. Though, there was something rather familiar about them.

Levy passed through first followed by Droy, who'd still a few pounds left to shed and had to turn sideways and suck in a breath to shimmy through. Gajeel waved to Jet who angled himself in their direction. Straight for the fissure. Gajeel moved through next.

"MOVE BACK!" He yelled as Jet blitzed through the opening. The room they found themselves in was large by human standards but no where near enough to hold a Dragon. The group made it to the far wall just as the first impact sounded. Time had weakened what was once probably, virtually indestructible and Gajeel heard the shifting of stone and the thundering crack seconds before the second impact brought half the roof down. He made to throw up something to shield them only to find Droy had beaten him to it. A web of thick vines and branches had mushroomed outward, supporting the roof above their heads. Gajeel couldn't remember him being as quick or as strong but there was a possibility that the same power that had been causing the plants to grow like crazy, was amplifying his magic. Either way, it had been a good save. Gajeel was no structural engineer.

"Fucking... _Dragons_!" Jet whined breathlessly. The fading adrenaline from his brush with pants wetting terror, more so than physical exertion, left him fatigued and shaking.

"They weren't alive, Jet. Those were the statues from outside. They weren't real," ' _They weren't real Dragons'_ , was the unspoken comment. Levy wasn't sure why she felt the need to say it. It wasn't as if they'd have needed someone to defend them or anything had they been _actual_ Dragons. In some ways, Levy felt a sort of strong, if not indirect connection to them. She could feel it, the same way that Gajeel could. She didn't believe that simply being a Dragon was enough to warrant hatred. She knew that they were capable of love and compassion. Empathy. The man standing beside her was proof of that. She had a lot in common with them now. A deep understanding of how they functioned and behaved. It was altogther possible that she was afraid Jet would extend any bad feeling for them, to her.

"Well, they're certainly real _enough,"_ Jet relented, tiredly rubbing at his face.

Gajeel grabbed Levy by the elbow firmly. Tilting her head to the side with his other hand where a thick, slow rivet of red crept down her hairline. Her headband stained crimson on one side.

"You're bleeding," Levy didn't protest; she could feel the sting and knew how dangerous head injuries could be. Gajeel looked to the others. "Check yourselves. You might have been clipped with a shard or two. The things out there might just look like Dragons but I'd rather not test out any fucking theories about whether or not they can smell like one too," He rasped.

Jet did a comical twirl trying to check his back, Droy looking on in amused disbelief. They both appeared to be okay. It seemed to be that Levy was the only one to catch any flying debris.

Gajeel slipped her headband off and let it fall to the ground. The wound was thin and shallow, nothing more than a light graze but headwounds were suckers when it came to bleeding. Droy handed him some gauze and antiseptic and Gajeel started cleaning away the blood. Levy winced but didn't say anything, allowing Gajeel to work away in silence. He moved a strand of hair over her ear and she allowed herself to lean into his hand momentarily. The warmth was a soothing comfort.

"That was quick thinking with the vines, beat me to it," Gajeel offered in his way of thanks to Droy. He suspected that his iron would have just reflected shards of obsidian everywhere, instead of catching them the way Droy's vines had. Pieces of flying stone lodging in the greenery instead of them.

"Do you think they're still out there?" Droy asked him. Still concerned. Gajeel frowned.

"I don't hear them," Levy interjected, but paused. "But I didn't hear them before so..."

"Don't know how to tell yah, but I've no fucking idea either," Gajeel answered him. He couldn't hear anything and it had only been luck the first time that he'd spotted them. Blind luck and pure instinct. Levy's wound had stopped bleeding and to Gajeel's relief it seemed as though in this situation she was healing like a Dragon Slayer. He made sure that she was clean and that any remaining blood stains had been removed. The antiseptic would mask the wound itself from anyone looking to follow the scent. Gajeel made an apologetic face to Levy while holding up her headband.

"No! No, Gajeel!" Levy practically snarled at him, her hand snapping out with snake like speed; intending on taking the scrap of material out of his hand. While she caught the end of it, his grip held firm and he didn't relinquish.

"It's covered in blood, Lev. We need to leave it," He reasoned.

She made a face. Eyes narrowed slightly and her lips pressed into a firm line. "It's one of my favorites. And my hair gets in my face when I run," Gajeel made a face and Levy glowered. "No! I _need_ it, Gajeel!"

The pair glared at each other for several more stubborn moments before Jet interrupted. Intervening before it could escalate into an argument. Reaching into his back pocket he pulled out a clean black headband and held it out to her.

Levy sighed in frustration before finally letting go of the bloodied one. "Fine!" She gave in. If she was surprised by the fact that Jet was carrying spares she didn't show it. She fixed her hair back from her face.

"Are you going to tell me that you carry replacement headbands for her?" Gajeel glared at Jet, unsure if he should be amused or concerned. Jet just looked to Droy and pulled another headband out of his other back pocket. Bringing his headband carrying capacity to two. Droy beat him, pulling out three in various colours. They both looked sheepishly at Gajeel. This... did not look like the first time there'd been headband issues.

"I guess I do lose a lot of headbands..." Levy said, a little perplexed at just how many headbands they were carrying.

"I'm dating a small tyrant," Gajeel whispered to himself. Eyes staring off into space. Expression blank.

Levy couldn't tell if he was joking or not so she settled for a harsh glare, slapping him on the chest in warning.

"I think we should start moving again, just in case they make another run at the wall," She added.

Everyone agreed to that and the group started picking their way over the rubble and out of the chamber. At the far end of the room they found a Human sized staircase leading down. It brought them some comfort to know that perhaps the Dragons that built this place weren't _necessarily_ the Human hating kind. Otherwise useless for the moment while they were being stalked by two giant stone Dragon statues. But hey, they stood a better chance against stone statues than they did against actual Dragons.

As the others marched ahead Gajeel hung back for a moment, burying his face in his hands. What was he even thinking? They were so _screwed_.


	20. Chapter 19

Notes

 **lilphoenixfeather** \- Yes, Jet is a bit of a cocky bastard who should run when a Dragon Slayer tells him to run. Especially when that Dragon Slayer has come close to peeing himself in terror. As for the stone dragons? No comment LOL

 **deblovesdragons** \- the headbands are more than an amusing gag, they have a purpose, I swear! :) But yes, they could easily do the handkerchief trick...especially if they added in all the spares _Levy_ has stashed in their bags outside.

 **Spakona** \- She gets flustered sometimes, the adorable little creature that she is. That's when she's not being a total fucking boss! :)

Again, there's some gross and weird things in this chapter but next chapter coming is our Dragon battle royale and I needed to perform some slightly complicated set up. Hopefully it's not boring. Remember, pretty much everything I write is mature. Bad language, gore, horror and _all_ the rest. Younger minds, be forewarned.

I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone reading and following this. I hope you enjoy, and please feel free to comment. I love your crazy little minds.

* * *

The decent downward seemed to continue beyond the groups collective comfort levels. It was a staggering distance they'd traveled already into the bowels of the earth and from what they could tell the spiraling staircase seemed to disappear down into a bottomless darkness. Jet had tossed a coin from his pocket over the edge but neither Levy nor Gajeel heard any impact from below. It may have been too far to measure, or simply that the sound never made it back up to them. Either way, it was a bleak prospect considering the light that they'd been following had tapered off and they were now following Droy's only remaining glowing root torch.

The further down they went the hotter and heavier the air got. It was a sweltering, oppressive blanket that made Levy feel sick to her stomach and her clothes stick to her body. Her shorts in particular had begun to ride up, unpleasantly bunching between her ass cheeks as she took the stairs step by step. Even Gajeel was feeling the heat and had gone shirtless, having tied his hair up. Just to keep the carpet of black sweaty mess off his soaked, still healing back. Jet kept his t-shirt on but he would periodically glance at Gajeel's hulking, muscular frame with a look bordering jealously. Levy felt like she could understand that. She often found herself in the same situation. Feeling a little _inadequate_ in certain departments. She reckoned it was hard to look at six plus foot of Dragon Slayer and not feel a little mediocre. She looked at Droy's back and for some reason he wasn't even _sweating._ The man's shirt was bone dry and weirder still was the fact that he not only was keeping up with them, he was setting a somewhat grueling pace up front with the torch.

They passed a doorway leading away from the stairwell but the ceiling had caved in sealing off its respective floor. Levy blanched, recalling the main hall with its two hundred foot high doorways. If perhaps they were going through an enormous replica of a human building, with floors and adjacent rooms in a similar layout. Those levels could be separated by hundreds of feet of human sized stair case.

"I'm not sure whether I'm happy about the idea that we've been walking for an hour and we've only made it down one level ..." Levy paused, thinking. "But, a place this size, it stands to reason there's more than one staircase. Maybe another staircase on the opposite side that we can use to double back up?" The possibility of some sort of escape was what everyone needed to hear. Moral was dwindling faster than their supplies. Everyone except Droy, anyway.

"So we keep going down? Try and look for a door back into the main area?" Gajeel asked just to be certain.

"Yeah, pretty much," Levy wasn't looking at him when she responded. "You feeling okay, Droy?" Droy was still walking. She'd only just realized that he hadn't stopped or turned to look at them once during the conversation. In fact, he hadn't spoken a word since the light died. Catching on quickly, Gajeel covered the distance between him and the green mage, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Hey, wait up, green thumb!" Gajeel grit out.

The mage didn't so much as even slow down. With an ever increasing sense of dread Gajeel caught a firm hold of his upper arm and planted his feet down on the stone. Droy kept walking, trying to drag Gajeel with him. The Dragon Slayer growled, spinning the man and pinning him against the wall with his forearm braced across his chest to keep him still. In the low light there where gasps all round. Gajeel's face fell. The helio root Droy had been carrying had sprouted shoots that had pierced the skin on his hand and appeared to be growing into him; they disappeared into his palm and wrist, and up underneath the sleeve of his shirt. Gajeel could feel the bulbous tendrils under his grip on the man's shoulder, beneath the fabric _and_ skin. Sickened to realize if he concentrated he could actually feel it moving, burrowing deeper. Droy's eyes were closed like he was asleep. The magical root he'd been holding had been his puppeteer for hours, growing insidiously through his flesh all the while driving them forward; deeper and deeper into this place. Whatever caused the plants to grow like crazy here, enough to break even the obsidian, had turned his own magic against him. Twisting something as harmless as a glowing root into something so terrifying.

Levy didn't stop to think too much about it and instead tried to pry his hand open but his fingers had become locked. Small hair like protrusions from the roots were biting through the skin and when she pulled the small wounds bled profusely. Hands shaking she let go, looking to Gajeel for some sort of guidance.

"Hold him!" Gajeel ordered; his hand changing into a blade while Levy and Jet tried their best to keep Droy still. Despite everything he was still mindlessly trying to walk away. Carefully Gajeel severed the smaller root attachments and began prying Droy's fingers away. Inch by inch, digit by digit. The man spasmed and twitched with each cut. When the tiny ones had been dealt with Gajeel looked at the man apologetically and braced himself, fully prepared to pull out the main root that had grown up the mage's arm. Jet's eyes widened in horror.

"What the hell are you doing?!" He all but yelled at the Dragon Slayer, grabbing his arm. "You can't just go yanking it out like that, y _ou might take half of him with it_!" Jet squealed.

Gajeel snarled at him.

"We don't take it out, he dies," Gajeel pierced him with a hard look. "Unless you have a better idea?" Jet didn't. Shrinking back into himself, utterly powerless; frustrated and sick to his stomach.

"Hold on!" Levy drew a quick word in the air, and a watering can printed with the word 'herbicide' appeared in her outstretched hand. "When I say pull, Gajeel, you pull like his life depends on it!" The woman hefted the can and poured the liquid over the exposed end of the root. Instantly the surface began to shrivel away. The plant's rapid growth also meant that it absorbed the poison almost instantly; the tendrils inside Droy thrashing so violently that they could see the skin on the side of his face and neck ripple. "NOW!"

Gajeel pulled the root out in one smooth motion. Droy's eyes shot open immediately, the scream that he blasted out made Levy and Gajeel's ears ache as he bucked, shrieking like a demon. When the Dragon Slayer stepped away, hands bloodied, he was holding an enormous tuber, the majority of which had been inside the man just seconds before. The mage in question slipped down the wall clutching his bleeding arm and hand to his chest. Chest heaving in what they could only imagine was excruciating pain. Wide awake now his eyes tried to focus on them but he didn't seem to be quite there yet. His pupils dilating and constricting randomly in the now flickering blue light of the dying root.

Levy stepped back when Gajeel flinched. He looked confusedly at the root in his hands before finally yelping in fright and throwing the thing over the side rail into the black abyss below. He turned his hand, palm up and rubbed at the small red drop of blood that bubbled up as the root had decided to try and find itself a new puppet. He'd barely felt it pierce the skin; nothing more than a tickle. It would have been easy not to notice it if he hadn't already been wary. Gajeel shuddered. He wouldn't be setting up camp outside if this was how the plants around here behaved.

Without the light they were now in total darkness. In the pitch black the Dragon Slayer looked to Levy. Droy's wounds were oozing blood but heartbeat was strong and he could already see the man begin bandage himself up shakily in the dark with what looked like some of Levy's spare headbands. For all the grief he used to give them, he took it all back. They were clearly Fairy Tail wizards. The others would manage but he'd have been lying if he said he wasn't concerned about Levy and their sudden lack of light. In the darkness she locked eyes with him and gave him a small smile. He let out a breath. She could see. This magical bond it would seem was actually starting to work out in their favour. When it wasn't messing everything up, of course.

"Can you stand?" Gajeel asked Droy, a sudden softness to his normally somewhat demanding usual tone.

Droy nodded with a shaky "I think so, yeah." and attempted to stand up but he wavered half way and fell down a step, Gajeel catching him and hoisting him up and over his shoulder like a sack of flour.

"Levy, I need you to find us a fucking door, before I decide I'm making one!" Gajeel growled.


	21. Chapter 20

Notes

I will keep this brief. Cause I know you aren't here to listen to me blather on. :) To all you wonderful reviewers, readers, followers, favorites and secret lurkers, I hope you enjoy the chapter. It's a little bit bigger than my usual updates and it makes editing and flow control kinda tricky. I hope to answer a few questions as well with this one but not necessarily everything. Stay with me. I will get around to covering all the loose ends.

* * *

She couldn't be certain but the insidious nature of whatever force had twisted Droy's green magic seemed almost intentional. Like another layer of defense guarding this place. It would stand to reason that considering the dense, fast growing forest surrounding them, any group attempting to get in might have a green mage with them to assist, maybe even study the phenomenon. If this was on purpose, it was very clever. She knew she'd have to be on the lookout for more potential traps.

Levy rummaged around in her satchel and pulled out her light pen and a sheet of paper with some hastily scribbled runes she'd taken down from Freed. Gajeel waited patiently holding a somewhat uncomfortable, frowning Droy on his shoulder. The woman crouched down and drew a series of rather complicated runes on the stone with the pen, occasionally glancing to the paper to make sure they were correct. She must have done something right because as soon as she lifted the pen away the symbols lit up with a warm glow and began moving down the steps. Levy bit her lip in thought, hoping she hadn't missed anything.

"This should lead us outdoors," She chewed on her lip, uncertain. "And if I've done it right it should warn us if it comes across any traps. I hope anyway," She looked to Droy, more than a little uncertain but she offered him a smile anyway. "How're you feeling?"

The man refused to make eye contact with her. His face reflected the red light of Levy's runes which made him look flushed.

"Embarrassed and in pain. But don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Helio root has its risks," He gave her a somewhat apologetic look.

Gajeel grunted and carefully lowered the man to his feet. Though he kept an arm across his shoulders in support.

"If you're well enough to be embarrassed, you're well enough to walk," The Dragon Slayer joked, rolling his shoulders. The green mage wasn't necessarily Laxus heavy but he wasn't light. Droy seemed much happier with their newer, less ridiculous positions. His legs seemed stronger though his balance was off.

"Right!" He laughed.

"What did you mean by risks?" Levy asked him. The rune ahead slowed down; moving only as fast as they did.

"They feed on magic. That's what gives them the glow." He admitted sheepishly. "Its never tried to break the skin before. Contact was usually enough."

"You're telling me the hours we spent walking that thing was sucking the magic out of you," Gajeel looked horrified, visibly shuddering. Only handling it marginally better than Jet who looked about ready to be sick at the thought. Though, it certainly explained why Droy had refused to hand the torch over in the caves.

"Most green magic can be similarly parasitic it if gets out of control," He winced. "Gonna be a while before I use that again." He revealed miserably.

Levy was left with more questions than answers and that made her anxious. None of that explained why Droy kept walking when the root took over. What was it trying to do? Where was it going? It didn't comfort her to know that they'd probably find out eventually.

They followed the line of moving runes down steps for another half an hour before it swung right and Gajeel graced them with a very audible "Oh, thank _fuck_!"

Unlike the passageway above, this archway was still open and just beyond they could see a set of intricate iron doors. The molding was beautiful. Life-like Dragons sprawled outwards in a fan like pattern from the lock at it's center. Some of them looked to be fighting. Others flying happily, spiraling around each other as though they were playing. If you stared at their features long enough it almost looked like they were moving. Gajeel smiled, hungrily eyeing them up. He looked to Levy, his intentions clear.

"You can't be seriously even considering that!? They could be _thousands_ of years old! You _can't eat them_!" She complained.

"If they _are_ that old, what're the chances they're just gonna open? May as well save time, shorty," He countered with a shit eating grin that told Levy he was so full of crap he was on the verge of popping like a balloon. She decided however to pick her battles. This really wasn't the place to get into an argument. She settled for a silent, smoldering glare instead.

Gajeel rubbed his hands together with a quiet "geehee" under his breath. With Jet now supporting Droy he made his way up to the doors, pausing momentarily to take in the quality of the work before leaning forward and giving it a tentative lick. The Dragon Slayer froze. There was a sudden silence. Levy couldn't even hear him breathe. His shoulders slumped and slowly he let his head fall forward, his forehead touching the unusually warm metal.

"Gajeel?" Levy spoke out, looking around cautiously, her voice wandered just above a whisper. She was genuinely concerned by his change in demeanor. When he didn't respond she called his name a little louder.

She heard him sigh before his head turned a little to the side. There was no violent rending of the metal that they were all quietly expecting. Instead the Dragon Slayer carefully put a hand on each of the handles at the center of the door and twisted. The locks creaked loudly with the sudden use, dust billowing out of the keyholes as Gajeel gingerly opened them. No trace of rust, they moved smoothly. A sudden stream of bright light blinded them.

What greeted them on the other side was nothing short of utterly terrifying. Obsidian floors gave way to sand as they stepped out into what looked like an enormous arena. Above them, hundreds of feet high, the ceiling was emanating a light not unlike sunshine; the brightness still stinging their eyes. The sandy area must have been at least a mile wide and at its centre an enormous black Dragon lay still, sprawled on its side. Levy could tell that it wasn't breathing. Although there was still a strong, oppressive feeling of lingering magic, the woman knew it was dead.

"Oh _Mavis_!" Levy whispered. Droy and Jet were silently flabbergasted at the sight. The gigantic form was as big as Acnologia. They hadn't been as close to an actual Dragon since the games.

Gajeel was already walking toward the strangely preserved corpse by the time Levy had shaken herself out of the stupor that had fallen over them all.

"You guys stay here," She told her team mates, taking off at a jog after the Dragon Slayer.

"Gajeel, stop," He was walking fast and she'd to run just to catch up. She managed to catch her fingers in the back of his shirt and pull on it, slowing him down. He resisted. Halfheartedly trying to shake himself free. "Please! Gajeel, please stop. Please tell me what's wrong!" She didn't know why she found herself crying. Knuckles white and still tangled in his shirt, she was desperately digging her heels into the ground.

Gajeel finally stopped moving and Levy circled to look at him. His expression was blank. She put her hand on his cheek and tilted his face so he had to look at her.

"This was Metalicana's mate," His gruff voice was barely audible even in the stark silence.

Levy couldn't read him. Whatever emotions he was feeling probably defied description.

"How can you be sure?" She finally asked him.

Gajeel held out his hand, palm up and a small iron figurine of a Dragon appeared in it. The shape of the head and the blade like protrusions lining the wings were identical to the body.

"Was one of the first things I ever ever learned to make on my own. Old man had carved a picture of her into the cave wall where we trained. He'd talk to it sometimes when he thought I was sleepin'," Gajeel admitted. He didn't often talk about his childhood. The man was stubborn when it came to avoiding painful memories.

Levy didn't say anything, instead intertwining her fingers in his, squeezing slightly. Offering him the only comfort she knew would mean anything to him right now. There was nothing she could say to all of this. If he thought of Metalicana as his father, by extension this Dragon was family.

"What was her name?" Levy asked softly.

Gajeel frowned in thought, trying to summon the memory up. It was a long time since he'd heard it.

"Ossa," Gajeel let out a sigh and smirked. He paused in thought. "Think I met her once but I was probably too young to remember,"

The pair approached her body together, hand in hand. Levy reached her arm out and let her fingers brush the still glossy black, stone-like scales. Her skin hummed with magic from the simple touch. The hairs on her arm stood up as goosebumps crawled along her flesh.

"There's still so much _magic_ ," Levy said in awe.

Gajeel just huffed. Despite being a Dragon Slayer he'd very little experience with dead Dragons. Following Levy's example he reached out and placed his hand against the stone scales. She was right. There was still an incredible amount of power in Ossa's body. Levy's sharp intake of breath when the stone shifted under his hands was almost as startling as the movement itself. She staggered back, Gajeel scrambling with her as the body rocked and rolled.

He stared in confusion for a moment before something caught his vision and he looked up.

The Dragon Slayer had only a single moment to react. He didn't make a sound when he turned, wrapped an arm around Levy's waist and tossed her backwards. He used enough force that her small body sailed about twenty feet before skidding to a stop amid a cloud of sand and dust. The first of the obsidian statues landed heavily over Gajeel's body. The Dragon Slayer toppling backwards, scrambling away from the jaws that came snapping down into the dirt where he'd fallen.

Behind the obsidian statue Ossa's body moved again as the second of the monsters clambered over her. Serrated tail swishing excitedly back and forth.

Gajeel extended an iron pole straight up into the first ones throat, snapping it's head back in a jarring motion. It didn't look to cause much damage, nothing more than a barely visible crack in the stone but it bought the Dragon Slayer time to get to his feet and shake himself off. Getting a few much needed feet between them.

He watched the second statue creep down and around to the side. They seemed to have worked out some sort of basic tactic between them in the time they'd been here. One attacks head on, the second circles and comes in from the side while they're occupied. It was the same thing they'd pulled in the hallway. Gajeel kept the second one in sight knowing that it would be watching him for an opening. There were two thunderous cracks as the Dragon Slayer watched two enormous words hit the statues head on. Levy was at his side, her fingers already drawing her next attack in the air. The word 'IMPACT' forming in front of them; this word much larger than the one before.

She extended her hand and the word moved at lightning speed, colliding directly with the face of the nearest creature. Gajeel watched as a stone tooth fell out of it's open jaws. He smirked. These things may have looked terrifying but they could be beaten. They could be broken.

"You take the creeper and I'll take toothless," Gajeel grinned somewhat menacingly, never taking his eyes off the one in front. It was presently holding back, body and head low to the ground. The Dragon Slayer doubted it was capable of feeling pain, but it definitely seemed like it knew when it had taken damage. Both of the creatures' movements had become more cautious than before. Levy didn't say anything in reply, instead moving off to the side. Gajeel felt confident in her capabilities. She'd already proven that her magic was capable of inflicting real damage, on top of that, while he'd never admit it, the woman was a little bit quicker on her feet than he was and small targets were always going to be harder to hit. This wasn't a battle about who possessed superior physical strength. Not for either of them.

Gajeel jumped, pulling his knees to his chest as the creature whipped it's tail along the sand intending to take his feet out from under him. He felt one of the jagged protrusions on it's limb scrap against the soles of his boots and he extended his hand, driving two angled iron poles into the earth either side of the tail, the creature's own obsidian spikes trapping it between the iron which crossed at the top, effectively catching it before it could pull back. He smirked as the limb thrashed between the metal. Shards of obsidian breaking as the creature tried to free itself. Whatever they might look like, these things were certainly not Dragons.

While his opponent was distracted, he spared a glance at Levy. In the time he'd been occupied, Jet and Droy had both joined her. Droy was hanging back at a distance, barely able to stand, but the vines that had grown from the ground and wrapped around the creature's feet, immobilizing it, were certainly his doing. Levy was still throwing up solid script 'IMPACT' but this time Jet was using his magic to increase it's speed. The words striking with the velocity of a falling meteor. Already the thing was wingless; most of it's face had broken away. Team Shadow Gear were literally taking it apart piece by piece. They weren't quite s-class mages, but together they made a rather good s-class level team.

Gajeel ducked to the side as his statue lunged for him. He drove an iron fist into the side of it's head as it missed him, barreling harmlessly passed. The crack along it's neck widening with the impact. Seeing a weakness, Gajeel pressed forward. Aiming his fists and feet for the same place. Watching the fissure become larger and larger with each hit. With a grunt the Dragon Slayer put as much force as he could into the final strike and was rewarded when the obsidian head cracked off rolling away. Unfortunately, the creature didn't fall. It didn't even stagger.

"That's a fucking cheat!" Gajeel yelled, glaring at the headless body as it finally broke free of the iron restraining it. Half of it's now broken tail lay motionless in the sand.

Before Gajeel could hit it again, vines broke the ground underneath them and slipped around the statue's feet, wedging themselves tightly into the cracks and crevices of it's damaged form. The thing had been in the process of moving forward when the plants struck and the sudden resistance caused it to stumble, falling onto it's belly. A solid script word struck the base of it's right wing and with a crack the appendage fell off into the sand. Having already reduced their opponent to nothing more than a pile of rubble, Levy, Jet and Droy were now focused on Gajeel's opponent. The Dragon Slayer grinned before striking the creature's other wing in exactly the same place as Levy had hit it. He was rewarded with a now headless, wingless enemy.

Unable to even move to mount a defense the beast started rapidly falling apart. Hit after hit taking sizable chunks out of it. Within a minute it was down to three limbs, then two. The script words stopped coming and Gajeel watched a sweating Levy collapse onto her backside with what was probably exhaustion.

Gajeel left it when the last leg came off. Whether it was still technically alive, and he considered the term in the loosest possible way, it wouldn't be any threat if it couldn't actually move. The Dragon Slayer tiredly walked back to meet up with the others. Despite the pale, sweaty, fatigued faces they were all smiling. With barely a few feet between them now, Levy watched Gajeel's eyes widen in disbelief, his eyes looking passed them. Levy spun. Jet following suit. Droy on the other hand had collapsed to his knees. No longer able to stand from the physical exertion and pain.

They watched the statue that Shadow Gear had destroyed begin to reform. Shards and chunks of obsidian rock rolling and skimming back through the sand only to collide with each other. The pieces reforming. The cracks healing. To their mutual horror the same process had started with the second stone Dragon. It's wingless, headless body was already scrambling to it's feet, dragging itself toward them, reforming as it approached.

Gajeel sucked in a breath, gathered his magic and blasted out an iron roar. Shards of metal hit it with enough force that they skinned away fist sized chunks of obsidian. Unfortunately, the pieces that the roar had dislodged quickly returning to their positions within seconds of being separated. Like jigsaw pieces snapping back in place.

Levy looked to him. Her eyes reflected his feelings on the matter. They'd moved too far from the stairs and had used to much energy and magic to make a successful retreat and with a statue on either side it wouldn't be difficult for the creatures to pin them down. With what looked like the last of her magic, Levy hit both statues with a solid script 'RESIN'. The words hit the beasts and covered them thickly in a translucent gel which hardened, preventing any more pieces from reforming. She wavered on her feet and Gajeel wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her up; her eyes closing as she lost consciousness.

Jet was panting but was still on his feet ready to keep fighting, standing protectively over a now unconscious Droy. Though he didn't look like he had any ideas about how they were going to deal with this. To be honest, neither did the Dragon Slayer.

Gajeel felt it before Jet did; a growing vibration under their feet. The statues stopped moving as the sand began jumping with energy. As suddenly as it had appeared, it stopped. There was just a single moment where Gajeel thought that the beasts were going to continue moving again, but their large forms started shuddering and to his immediate relief they simply crumbled.

"So sorry about that," A loud disembodied woman's voice echoed around them and Gajeel and Jet actually squealed in fright. There was an awkward silent pause. "Ehm... _and_ for startling you," The voice apologized sheepishly.

Levy seemed to be coming round though she was leaning heavily against Gajeel, she gave him a look he could only read as confusion before she mouthed the words. "What the fuck?"

"Don't ask me..." He whispered back.

The vibrations began again under their feet and the sand began parting to reveal a stair case down under the arena.

"The Human quarters are down further. The Cynosure welcomes you, Dragon Slayer Gajeel."


	22. Chapter 21

Notes

Hope you enjoyed the last chapter. We're getting toward the end of the story. :'( There's maybe a few chapters left and then the epilogue and then my behemoth Levy/Gajeel beast can begin. And that, is going to be a dark one. Torture, torment, horror and heartache.

But for the time being, we're still in fluffsville. Special thanks to everyone that's reviewed. You make me so happy!

 **Mewhee89** \- shhhhhhhh! ;P

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"We aren't going anywhere till you tell us what the _fuck_ is going on?" Gajeel spat. The idea that the hell they'd just been through had been completely unintentional didn't sit well with him. Generally when someone was causing him this much grief it was on purpose.

There was only silence in response. Jet let out a sigh of frustration.

"For Mavis sake, Gajeel, can you maybe try _not_ being an asshole for a minute?" The speed mage rolled his eyes at him. The last thing that he wanted was the random disembodied voice to change their mind about not killing them. He was fairly confident that it was the one responsible for calling off the seemingly indestructible statues.

Gajeel turned to Jet and pointed his finger directly in his face. He opened his mouth and sucked in a breath to give the man a piece of his mind when a small block of obsidian struck him in the side of the head. Thrown by no one he could see. He let out an unhappy 'owww'.

"I'm very accustomed to dealing with assholes, little mage," There was a light breathy laugh. "Don't worry about upsetting me. Offense is for the living," The voice reasoned.

Gajeel's face paled.

"Ossa?" He asked in a barely audible, breathless whisper.

There was no immediate answer but when the voice returned the somewhat carefree tones had disappeared. Its words were tinged with a deep sadness.

"I'm afraid Magistrate Ossa has been dead for many years, Dragon Slayer Gajeel…" The voice paused. "I alone remain to tend the soul stone. Keep watch over the sacred valley,"

Levy's jaw clenched.

"That…sounds very lonely," She spoke, hit with a sense of profound misery at the thought of spending years alone in solitude. Who even knew how many years this individual had spent here. No one to talk to. Levy looked around suddenly curious. "Where _exactly_ are you?" She asked it. Genuinely curious, the voice seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere in particular.

"I am in the walls and the archways, the floors and the fixtures. I have no _single_ physical body," She intoned.

Jet went suddenly white as a sheet. Coughing and sputtering. Like he'd choked on his own saliva.

"I'm so sorry I peed on you!" He muttered, red faced. They'd been here almost a full day. Bodily needs were still bodily needs. Levy and Gajeel looked at him in abject disbelief.

"Really, Jet?" Levy snapped. Why in the name of all of creation he had to say _that_ , she couldn't understand.

The ground beneath their feet shook and to their collective horror a large chunk of the stone that had remained after the statues crumbled, rolled of its own accord toward them. There was a pressure in the atmosphere. An intense magical force that felt like it was crushing the air from their lungs. It was enough to make them lightheaded. It appeared to be emanating from the body at the center of the arena.

"And you told _me_ not to piss it off? At least I didn't tell it I actually _pissed_ on it," Gajeel hissed. They took a collective step back as the rock slowly rolled closer.

It stopped a few feet away and seemed to liquefy; a giant pool of black residing in the sand. As suddenly as the power had appeared it was gone. The surface of the liquid obsidian bubbled and churned like boiling water before finally a figure rose from the pool. The form was clearly female; its obsidian skin and bottomless black eyes were the thing of nightmares. It took a step forward and the surface of its body rippled with magic; black stone gave way to skin. Soft and fleshy looking. Over that a plain black tunic that reached to just above the woman's knees. Very short dark hair framing an unremarkable face with somewhat piercing dark green eyes.

"I'm not sure if the look of pure terror on your faces is because you just watched me enchant myself into a boulder or because there's something heinously wrong with this body?" The figure rocked back and forth on bare feet, seemingly trying to find her balance. She spared a cursory glance behind her back making a quizzical 'hmmm' noise when she spotted nothing out of the ordinary.

The voice was unmistakably the one from before. No one responded. The three still conscious mages just stood there, mouths hanging open. The woman gave a soft, somewhat understanding smile.

"Enchantment magic is rather easy for me. And it's not like I haven't had the time to practice," She extended a hand toward the stairs and asked again. "Please, if you'd come with me. I'd rather you didn't all die from exhaustion in the arena. There are more than enough corpses here. I don't need to spend my time avoiding any more,"

Levy looked beseechingly at Gajeel who was silently taking all of this in. The expression on his face was dour. He looked haggard and exhausted but she could tell that he was satisfied with their safety for the moment.

Gajeel sighed and Levy and Jet took that as an affirmative. Something moved behind him and Gajeel turned to see Droy's unconscious form move across the sand. A thin plate of obsidian just about visible under his body. Slowly and carefully he was carried ahead of them down the steps. The woman following him. With her back to them, Gajeel could make out the edge of what looked like a tattoo peaking up from underneath the neckline of her tunic but couldn't quite make out what it could be.

The stairs down were lit with the same light as the arena had been. With abundant illumination it was much easier and altogether faster for them to walk. Unlike the staircase they'd been on previously, this was clean and unblemished, with no rubble or litter to trip over.

"Don't suppose you could rustle up anymore of those stretchers for _us_ to use?" Jet spoke, breaking the silence. "I think I'm actually jealous Droy's unconscious,"

The woman turned to him and laughed. The segment of step Jet had been standing on disappeared. The area around him flattened and he lost his footing on the slick stone sliding downward. Levy yelled in fright as Jet's body slid passed them. Neither her or Gajeel were quick enough to grab him. The woman smiled deviously. Her left hand snapped out, catching Jet by the back of the shirt as he slipped by. She held him up single-handed. Effortlessly suspending him.

"For a wizard specializing in speed magic, you're quite lazy," She admonished and to Levy's surprise Gajeel started laughing hysterically.

Levy cocked an eyebrow at him.

"What? I was just thinking that the other day," The Dragon Slayer retorted.

Jet gave a slightly terrified nod. The woman set him down on the newly reformed steps. He promptly backed away from her, up the stairs closer to Levy and Gajeel. The Dragon Slayer was still grinning. Levy didn't look all that impressed by the woman's antics.

They kept walking in silence until they reached the bottom of the stairs. As they walked forward the walls melted and shifted to allow them passage. The black stone in front parted like water.

Gajeel had suspected it from the first time she took form but he knew for certain now that he was right.

"Ossa, exactly how old is this place?" Gajeel said suddenly.

Completely caught off-guard the woman absently muttered "Thousands of years..." before she stopped walking and her shoulders stiffened. Levy quirked a crooked smile looking at Gajeel, because that had been pretty crafty. Maybe unwise. But definitely clever. Ossa turned slowly. The once green in her eyes was black as coal and the somewhat impassive expression on her face had turned furious. Gajeel and her stared intensely at each other for several long, protracted seconds.

"Can I ask how you guessed or did I inadvertently make it too obvious?" She finally asked, unhappily.

Gajeel grinned, expression smug.

"You made it too obvious when you _checked yourself for a tail,_ " He deadpanned.

The woman's mouth drew into a tight line. Her right eyelid twitching in barely contained irritation.

"You are _just_ like him. He was an _infuriating_ little shit, too," She remarked offhand.

Levy and Jet exchanged looks. Levy leaned in to him and whispered "Family squabble, best not get involved,"

Gajeel and the former Dragon Ossa both turned in slow motion to face her and Gajeel grunted out a 'whatever'. Ossa smiled at Levy cheekily.

"I wouldn't go casting those kinds of stones, little one, if I am his family, then surely I'm _yours_ , too."

At those words the obsidian finally broke way outside into an enormous expanse of green. Trees as tall as large buildings lined a pathway of cool, damp grass. Actual sunlight breaking through the canopy to warm their skin. Jet let out a breath in wonder. Warm wind carried the smell of fresh grass and lavender.

"Sacred valley?" Levy asked her. The previous conversation all but forgotten for the moment.

"There are Human dwellings further in," The woman laughed. "At least, there should _still_ be dwellings further in."


	23. Chapter 22

Notes

Sorry if I seem to be blasting out these updates the last few days but I suppose I write when the mood strikes. Not long to go now and this chapter will mark the end of one type of action before we start gearing up for the other kind. ;P This chapter is fairly Gajeelcentric and Ossa relationship heavy but talks need to happen and I think he needs to get a feel for the kind of individual she is. I also love the idea of a young Metalicana/ Ossa Dragon courting. I know, I know, I must be super weird. LOL

Next chapter is very much Gajeel/Levy, though. Hang in there. Hopefully this isn't tooooo boring.

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Despite the crippling exhaustion and uncertainty, Gajeel couldn't help the grin that pulled persistently at his mouth at the sight of Levy practically skipping through the grass bare foot and laughing as they walked to their next, and hopefully final, destination. Droy was currently awake and talking to Jet, while the speed mage walked alongside his obsidian stretcher; the man still too weak to stand on his own.

Out of the corner of his eye he caught glimpses of the look Ossa was throwing their way. Her face was completely unreadable. It was made of stone after all, it probably wasn't that difficult to accomplish if she wanted to. Anyone else in his position would have been a fool to trust her. He knew absolutely nothing beyond the fact that she'd been Metalicana's mate. Considering the type of Dragon _he_ was, that left some gaping questions as to her character. But in some way he couldn't explain, Gajeel recognized her. He certainly wasn't going to trust her having only just met her. However, he was willing to give her the chance to earn it.

"So, what the hell is a Dragon Magistrate, anyway?" Gajeel asked casually. Ossa's head swiveled to him as though she hadn't been paying attention. As though she wouldn't have been able to hear him suck in the breath to speak before he even formed the words. He muttered 'real cute' under his breath at her behavior. She was good at playing the part of a Human. He knew better than to take her uncertain pauses at face value.

"Higher Dragons came to me to mediate grievances and settle disputes," Gajeel considered the idea. He supposed it made sense. He knew Dragons' had their own version of a loosely knit society. They held positions and had statuses and leaders. Stood to reason that there was some sort of system for sorting out problems without bloodshed.

"Battles still happened, though," She sighed unhappily in contemplation. Gajeel wagered that was what the arena was for. "But they were rare. If parties came to me they were willing to accept my judgement," She frowned suddenly. Her lips pursed in the semblance of a pout. " _Almost_ all of them, anyway," She finished saying after a pause.

Gajeel grinned a crooked, knowing smile.

"Metalicana?" He asked.

"Metalicana," She sounded exasperated, again though, her face was impassive. "I mean, who comes _looking_ for a settlement and then tells me to shove my ruling?" Gajeel knew that the Iron Dragon was stubborn. It amused him that even the memory of him seemed to make Ossa's obsidian blood boil like lava, especially after all this time. "You know what that fool did after rejecting my decision to split the territory?"

Gajeel just grunted and shook his head. He couldn't even fathom a guess.

"He told his opponent that he could _have_ the disputed lands…" The irritation faded from her voice and she smiled. "…then he challenged _me_ to a fight," Gajeel stopped walking and looked at her blankly.

"Let me get this straight," Gajeel narrowed his eyes in disbelief. "He comes to you to settle a land dispute, then tells you he won't go with the settlement, then _gives_ the disputed lands to the other guy anyway, and wants you to fight him?" Gajeel knew in a lot of ways Dragons could be crazy. For the most part their actions made sense to _them_ regardless of how they appeared to Humans. But even as a Dragon Slayer, Gajeel was having a hard time wrapping his head around that one.

Sensing his confusion, Ossa smiled and lowered her head a little forward. Her voice had become hushed.

"His idea of _flirting_ ," She laughed in disbelief herself, running her fingers through her short spiky locks before sighing wistfully, the sensation of hair seemed altogether unfamiliar to her.

"Who won?" He asked cautiously.

The corner of the woman's mouth turned upward.

"Your father's body had to be _dragged_ out of the arena," She said with more than a little pride. "I was a Magistrate for a few very good reasons." She held up her hand and began counting off fingers. "I held no rank, I had no family and no allegiances," She held out the hand and made a fist. Gajeel heard the sound of obsidian being crushed. "And I was mostly considered unbeatable," She unclenched her hand and Gajeel watched the fissures and cracks in her palm close up. The skin returning to its previous soft looking texture.

The Dragon Slayer's eyes wandered again to Levy as she laughed with Jet; Droy now sitting upright, his face locked into an offended pout. Ossa followed his gaze.

"My magic is more than just control over obsidian, it's the power over souls. I can see the bond between you two," She watched Levy like a hawk and despite the trust he _wanted_ to extend to her, Gajeel felt more than a little uncomfortable with that.

"Yeah, I think I'd a preferred a tail, to be honest," Gajeel rubbed his temples to alleviate the ache behind his eyes. He wasn't used to having his hair tied up and the pull on his scalp was giving him a headache. Gajeel growled to himself pulling his hair free. The black mane falling down around his shoulders like a shroud. "Who am I kiddin', I probably wouldn't change it if I could," He looked to Ossa shaking his head. Trying to clear his thoughts. "Don't even know why I'm tellin' you this. I don't even know you," He gave a pained laugh. He wasn't usually this open.

Gajeel didn't voice what he thought in that moment, mainly because he didn't believe it would have helped him much; what he wanted to do was call her a liar. Because 'dead' or not, she was clearly offended by that.

She looked away from him and let out a short, indignant huff of air.

Ahead of them the path opened into a clearing where an old building lay in a state of disrepair. Unlike the sleek obsidian walls and floors of the main building, this was a Human dwelling comprised of simple stone and wood. Gajeel was no architect but it looked ancient. He doubted it would have been able to withstand a sharp gust of wind without falling down.

Ossa strode ahead and came to stand beside Levy as they both examined it critically.

"I…guess it's been longer than I thought," Ossa whispered in thought. "No, this won't do," She stretched out her hands and splayed her fingers and black obsidian rose from the ground, creeping up and seeping into the cracks and crevices of the brickwork. Filling in the gaps in the walls and floors and recovering the roof. When she was done the building was a patchwork of black glistening stone and red brick, but Gajeel would have bet his breakfast on the structure now being able to survive a Natsu-esque tantrum.

The Dragon Slayer's stomach growled at the thought of food. Jet was helping Droy stand when they heard the empty rumbling. The green mage smiled, suddenly feeling useful again. Rummaging around in the pouch at his side he tossed some seeds into the ground. Ossa's expression fell.

There was a single moment of exquisite panic on her face, which up to now, had been pretty hard to read at times. They soon realised why when the hybrid nut and berry bush that Droy was trying to grow, exploded outward from the dirt at his feet knocking Levy, Jet and Gajeel to their backsides while shooting toward the former Dragon. The plant wrapping itself around her tightly. Trying to access the magic stored in her stone body. The illusion of flesh disappeared as the plant began growing at a rapid rate; desperately scratching and squeezing her to access what it wanted. They could hear her cursing from within the web of tangled vines and thorns but Droy motioned for them to stay back. The plant shuddered suddenly before it stopped moving. No one was willing to touch the plant, knowing what happened with helio on the stairway. They tried to peer through the mass to its center but couldn't see anything.

"Stand back!" A body-less voice commanded and the wizards didn't hesitate in putting some distance between them and the overgrown bush.

The plant exploded outward, thorns and fruit and matter raining down on them. In the bush's place a perfect obsidian replica remained. Gajeel guess that she'd seeped inside it and expanded. The obsidian web melted back together until Ossa was relatively intact. Unlike before, the transition from stone to Human was a slower, patchier process. A fierce look of concentration on her face forced the remaining segments of slick stone on her arms and torso to change.

The woman was left panting; hands resting on her knees in exertion and eyes boring holes into Droy.

"I don't think I mentioned it, and I probably should have, but no green magic in the Cynosure," She rasped.

Levy bit her lip in thought. Well, that certainly explained a number of things she'd been wondering about.


	24. Chapter 23

Notes

We are almost to the end of the story unfortunately, wow it's been fun though. All the messages and reviews from people who've been reading. Oh, I love you to pieces. :D But all things eventually come to an end. I have the next chapter after this already written and ready to go, but I may leave it for a day or two considering all the updates. There won't be any notes on the next chapter because of flow and everything (it's kinda pure smut) so in case I forget, I just want to thank each and every one of you for your support.

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Ossa left them after only a brief time showing them around and a short conversation with Levy. She looked more than drained and while she told them where they could find food and water she didn't seem capable of remaining long. The Human appearance to her body fading to black as she sunk back into the earth. To where, no one could even fathom a guess.

While Gajeel set a fire blazing in the hearth in the house, Droy prepared some game birds the Dragon Slayer had caught while Jet slept soundly on, snoring away. Levy had taken to exploring the sparsely decorated house but eventually the smell of cooking meat and soup and fruit lured her back to the rest of the group in the kitchen where they'd bedded down. Though she seemed lost in her own thoughts.

"You okay, Shorty?" Gajeel offered her a bowl of Droy's soup and an apple. She blinked those enormous brown eyes at him stupidly for a moment before she shook herself free of her thoughts.

"Thank you, I'm…just thinking," She said quietly taking the food, sparing a glance over her shoulder to Droy who was now tending the fire. She lowered her voice to just barely above a hush.

Gajeel didn't say anything further. Giving her time to think over whether she was in the mood to share her thoughts or pick at them a little more. Levy gave him a sad smile.

"Ossa told me a few things about the bond," Gajeel's eyebrows rose rather comically as she continued. "Among other stuff, she told me that if we wanted she could sever it. That we could have a normal relationship," From the weight of her words Gajeel could tell she was seriously considering it. He couldn't explain the feeling, but he felt a profound sense of loss at the idea. He'd never wanted this bond to begin with, but how could he be happy about losing a connection so powerful to someone he loved so much. A part of him felt pain at the idea that Levy felt differently.

"And you're considering it?" He already knew the answer to the question. In a sick, masochistic way, he wanted to hear her say it.

She paused, easily sensing the change in the atmosphere between them. How the conversation had strayed into volatile territory so quickly. But it wasn't possible to pull back from it. If they didn't have these types of conversations, then they were doomed already.

"I really don't know. Maybe?" Gajeel moved to stand suddenly. An automatic, knee-jerk reaction to withdraw from the source of the twisting in his chest and gut. As if he could run away from the words after he'd already heard them.

He knew very well where she was coming from. The rational part of his mind was even in agreement. These types of bonds were meant for Dragons, not Humans, not Dragon Slayers. But no matter how much he told himself, repeatedly, that she was right, that maybe it would be for the best, a deep primal part of him felt like dying at the very idea. It felt like it _was_ dying, that she'd even suggested a _maybe_ in her response.

"I need some air," He wavered on his feet before heading outside and disappearing into the darkness.

Levy felt a sharp pain just under her ribs. Her now shallow breathing hitching into a silent sob. Food forgotten she buried her face in her hands, quietly willing herself not to weep.

For the first time in a number of weeks, Levy found herself trying to sleep alone. After disappearing out into the woods, the Dragon Slayer hadn't come back like she was hoping he would, and long after Jet and Droy had turned in for the night, she found herself lying awake, unable to rest. In her mind she replayed Gajeel's reaction over and over again. The look of pain, of loss and grief that flashed across his eyes when she said the words. Words with a meaning she wasn't even sure were relevant anymore, because as soon as she'd said it she had her own answer. She wasn't just willing to spend the rest of her life with him, she felt a sadness that it couldn't be more. That she'd only get the one.

A future she was now jeopardizing.

Levy slipped out of her sleeping shorts and stood up slowly; grabbing a skirt from her bag and a blanket before walking outside. She strained her eyes and her ears for any trace of her wayward Dragon Slayer but there was nothing. His smell was fresh, he must have doubled back to check on them, but he was gone now. Out of range of even her borrowed enhanced senses.

His smell was everywhere and she wasn't skilled enough to track him with it. She shivered under the warmth of the wool.

"Ossa! Ossa!" She spoke into the darkness. It was a wild guess, nothing more than a foolish hope, but after so long alone, she wanted to believe that the former obsidian Dragon wouldn't stay too far from them. If nothing, then for the company at least.

Levy was thankfully right. Even in the darkness, she saw the small pool of black bubble up from the earth at her feet. There was no form this time. No face or eyes to read any emotion in, just a voice. The surface of the pool rippling with sound as she spoke.

"There's a small ruin about half a mile north, just passed the waterfall. He's there," Ossa's voice said without any prompting or questions. Levy's eyes glistened in the dark, holding back the floodgates of tears; sad, happy, relieved tears.

"I…don't know what to do. Is it even possible to mess up?" Levy whispered to her. Nervous and insecure and uncertain.

The voice didn't answer her. The pool withdrawing back into the earth. Levy narrowed her eyes, glaring in annoyance at the space where the obsidian had been. She forced herself to take a breath and looked around. She spotted the path they'd discovered to the waterfall and barefoot, dropping the blanket, she took off at a run.

She felt all the tension and uncertainty fade the faster she ran. Trees and rock features passed her, nothing more than indiscriminate blurs. The hum and beat of hot blood in her ears the only thing she could focus on. Nothing else around her mattered even in the slightest. She realised she was following something other than Ossa's instruction only after she'd passed the waterfall and changed direction without stopping to consider what she was actually doing.

She felt something in her blood almost sing as she ran. Urging her forward. When she realized she could smell his presence, her legs slowed their hectic pace and she came to a stop. Her skin felt flushed; beads of sweat ran down her back and chest. She could hear so much around her. Heartbeats in the trees and in the burrows of the earth under her from the animals and birds still sleeping through the night. She'd never felt quite so alive. As she walked forward she felt the grass become patchy with slabs of cold sandstone. Pieces of rubble littering the green surrounding her. She saw a lone figure sitting crossed legged on a large square block that looked like it had been knocked from some enormous structure; it's edges were still straight and flat and smooth. The figure sat with their back facing her. Gajeel's long black hair swayed back and forth in the breeze while he meditated.

Levy watched him stiffen and without thinking she ducked when he turned in her direction. She smiled deviously to herself when she realized just how quick she'd reacted, almost before he'd even decided to look. His head rose as he scented the air and Levy willed her heartbeat to slow. Not daring to move unless he'd hear. Some new game of predator and prey that they were now playing. He stood up and climbed down to the ground, slowly moving toward her position. Levy dropped even lower to the ground. Stopping only when her body was parallel to the the forest floor and the only thing visible through the leaves and shrubbery were Gajeel's booted feet as he crept silently in her way. She inched herself sideways. Her small body moving so slowly and quietly you could have been staring directly at her and not seen her. She positioned herself just out of the way at the base of a large tree as Gajeel left the ruins, following her scent. Which, thanks to her sweat, was now soaking the area. Squatting down on the balls of her feet she patiently watched him pass her. His eyes scanning ahead and to the side, but never spotting her crouched down in the vegetation.

Levy was smiling, eyes fixed intently on him. She'd never felt this kind of exhilaration or thrill before. At this moment she felt powerful; stronger than she'd ever been. She slowly stood up, inch by inch; her hand brushed against some undergrowth and Gajeel stopped moving forward. She knew he'd turn and see her and with her opportunity slipping by, Levy lunged up jumping towards his back. Quicker than anyone would have thought possible, Gajeel turned and caught her mid-air, laughing.

She wrapped her legs and arms around him and before he could have the opportunity to speak, she kissed him hard. Driving the air from his lungs. She felt his teeth graze her lip sharply and she pulled back. He let her drop to her feet. Silently staring at her. Drinking in the sight of her. She began backing away from him. Her hair framing her face and hiding her eyes in shadow.

"I want to turn the guest room into a library," She said as she backed away slowly from him.

Gajeel's body jerked into motion, moving forward. His head hanging low. She could hear the growl at the back of his throat and it sent pangs through her core.

"No one visits anyway," He absently replied, his voice had become like gravel. He advanced further and Levy backed away another step. She could feel the stone even out under her feet as she moved out into the clearing, amidst the ruins.

"And I want you to make me pancakes in bed sometimes," She whispered breathlessly, her entire body was a flutter. She doubted she could have wiped the smile from her face if she wanted to. "And we'll need a new couch!" She added, smirking as she came to a stop.

"Anything," Was all Gajeel said. His chest was heaving with the effort of whatever was happening inside him. He wasn't sure he was capable of saying much more. All he knew was that whatever she wanted, he'd see it happily done.

Levy willed herself to step forward as he advanced a few more more feet. They continued like this until he was standing right in front of her and her skin was prickling with electricity.

"And what do I get?" He asked, his voice breaking. Levy reached out and cupped his cheek, brushing her thumb over the skin ever so lightly.

"What do you want?" She asked.

The world tipped for Levy when he pulled her up into his arms. His lips descending hungrily on hers.


	25. Chapter 24 (M-Rated)

His grip on her was painfully tight. Under pale skin she could tell her flesh was bruising but she couldn't feel anything beyond the need for more contact. The wall behind her had cracked with the force he'd used to drive her into it. Hard rippling muscle straining against her body. His breath was hot and ragged in her ear; hands desperate in their movements.

Sharpened, clawed fingers tore at her clothes; Levy's tank top fell to their feet in shreds exposing her naked chest to him. Skin stinging in places where his iron nails had pierced her. His mouth and tongue were on her breasts before she could even make a sound; the cold sting of his fangs lightly toying with her nipples made her cry out his name in desperation for more of anything he could give. She fisted her hands in the shirt at the small of his back and pulled, ripping the garment off him in two clean pieces before roughly dragging her nails down his hardening skin. She shouldn't have been able to hurt him with the scales forming as they were, but she could. Her hands had become like his; iron claws with the capacity to turn flesh to mulch. It was an abstract thought the script mage had then, between the waves of ectasy and desire, knowing that normally this wasn't how Human beings coupled, but there was another growing part of her that she'd since come to accept, that told her this was how _she_ would. There was more to this than simple sex. It was a dance that was currently taking place. A struggle for power and dominance. It was aggressive, and violent and she craved it more than oxygen. In the wake of the destruction they would leave, there would be a different type of bond. Whether he was with her or not she would never be alone. If he needed her she would be drawn to him. If either of them were ever slain the very earth beneath their feet would quake with terror for what the other would do to avenge them. Unlike the bond that had brought them closer, to be mated wasn't a sharing of skills or feelings, it wasn't an exchange of traits. It was a sharing of souls. A part of her would be his forever and a part of him would join her. She wasn't a Dragon, but she'd already proven to his that when it came down to spirit, she was a power unto herself.

She smiled before sinking her teeth into the warm flesh of his shoulder. The Dragon slayer hissed in pain before lifting Levy higher and shoving her back into the ruined stone harder than before, growling. Dust billowing around them in the aftermath. The script mage could only laugh, wrapping her legs around his waist, squeezing him tightly. Anyone else would have been broken with the force but not Gajeel. It succeeded in earning her only a grunt, which disappointed her. She flashed him a devious look before she rolled her hips; grinding her hot, wet center against him. The feeling of her obvious want made him whine pitifully with desire; a reaction that better met her approval. His eyes were blazing when his hands found her wrists and with his body supporting her, pinned her arms above her head; driving his fangs into the soft flesh of her shoulder. Small trickles of blood mingled with sweat as it ran down her bare chest. The sensation couldn't have been described with words. It felt like the earth beneath her had bottomed out and she was falling. Her eyelids fluttered and when he pulled back she claimed his lips, hard, breaking her hands free of his grip and tangling them in his hair. She tightened her legs around his waist even more and used her hold on his black mane to forcefull pull his face away from her. His hands scored bleeding marks as they ran down her back and sides; growling at her in warning.

"Submit..." She hissed seductively into his ear, though, where the word had come from she couldn't tell. It seemed to flow from her without thought or control. Something that needed to be said. She was rewarded with a mocking laugh and a sharp nip of her earlobe.

"Like hell. Make me, short stuff," Gajeel growled before laughing and to Levy it was music. It was fine wine. It was everything that she could need in that single moment. The words were indicative of all he was. Crude, ferocious, brutal, but also the warmest heart she'd ever know. She knew that at the core, he was so very much like her.

She softened her grip on him and slowly brought her lips to his.

"I love you," She whispered before kissing him. The words were a power of their own.

Where claws and teeth once bit into flesh, soft hands caressed instead. The tempo having changed entirely. Gajeel lowered himself to the ground taking Levy with him, still straddling his waist. One hand supporting her back he used the other to work his pants down, freeing himself. He traced his fingertips along her thigh and up the skirt she was wearing as she better positioned herself across his lap. Gajeel's hands stalled momentarily. His face a sudden mixture of confusion and a little horror.

"Where the hell did your underwear disappear to, Shrimp?" He couldn't quite keep the burgeoning smile from his face. Levy bit her lip murmering "what underwear?" and wiggled her eyebrows cheekily at him but otherwise said nothing more, earning her a rumbling laugh.

"I love you so much!" Gajeel spoke, his breath having become a little ragged again. Both of their heartbeats having sped up with anticipation.

Levy closed her eyes, taking both of his hands in hers and slowly moving them up her thighs. When they reached her skirt she helped them slide the fabric further up and off her hips, exposing her eager sex to him. It was barely a moment before she felt him slip inside her. Her body swaying against him as he touched upon a delicious ache at her core. His arms came up to encircle her and with their heads resting in the hollows of each others shoulders they began to move as one. As they grew accustomed to the position and the feeling, the tempo increased. Gajeel's hands moved down to her hips and helped to drive them together over and over again. His grip able to completely support her lithe frame. The man's breathing had become nothing more than a series of grunts as he entered her. The grass beneath them was cold and it was the only thing keeping him from laying his mate to the ground and making her scream his name. With an almost delirious smile against her damp skin, Gajeel realized that he would have the rest of his life to do that.

He knew the moment that Levy came because her entire body convulsed and he was forced to wrap his arms around her tightly to prevent her hitting the ground. He slowed his efforts until the spasms eased off, marvelling at the image of her sweet face scrunched in torturous pleasure. The sight alone almost enough to send him spiralling after her. Almost. When she began to come down Gajeel picked up the pace. His thrusts becoming frantic and powerful. Each time he drove into her fully he heard her breath hitch, and her hands gripped him just that little bit tighter. He heard her whisper his name like a prayer to some divinty as he found release inside her.

Gajeel collapsed to the side, rolling onto his back and clutching Levy close. The Dragon Slayer ached all over. He hurt in places that he had no idea a Human could hurt in. But right at that moment all he could concentrate on was the heartbeat thumping in his chest. It's rhythm mirrored by Levy's.

He ruffled her damp, tangled hair a little.

"You still alive up there, Shorty?" He asked. Levy had gone completely limp in his arms. The woman tried lifting her head to look at him but only succeeded in getting it up a little before it flopped back down on his chest.

"Ughhhhh...I think I'm dead. Avenge me, Gajeel," She whispered through closed, pained eyes. Her small hands hanging at his sides.

The Dragon Slayer roared with laughter. The rest of his life had never seemed brighter.

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Notes

Short note at the end instead of the start lol hope you enjoyed that. *turns on the fan* There's a super long epilogue almost done that I'm probably going to break up into two chapters. Still some things to cover before the story wraps. Also a little easter egg in it that you might catch if you're squinting.

lilphoenixfeather- absofuckinglutely does it do that for me. Drives me demented. Even more so when I'm reading something and don't realise its been updated.

So much love for all you guys. And I'm not certain, Mewhee89 but you might have missed chapter 22 ;)


	26. Chapter 25

Levy had no idea how long they lay there. The night air was chilly but Gajeel was a burning source of heat under her, radiating a kind of comfort she really didn't want to give up. His breathing was a rumbling purr that vibrated through her skin and bones, dissolving any anxiety she might have had about their exposed positions. As much as she would have loved to stay there though, she could tell from the chirping of the birds that dawn would be breaking and they would need to get back before Jet and Droy decided to go looking for them. She sighed, moving a hand over his chest to prop herself up. His eyes were still closed but he hummed in approval at the touch.

"I think we should probably move," She whispered, smiling.

The satisfied hum turned into a groan.

"Why you gotta say stuff like that?" Gajeel whined pitifully. Instead of moving, he wrapped his arms around her and held her to him tightly. "I think we're just fine here, gihee," She didn't even have to look up to his face to know he was smiling that smile of his.

"Gajeel," She started her protest. "My butt's cold," She laughed. "And I'm _topless_ ," She wanted to sound serious but even saying it out loud made her giggle.

The Dragon Slayer slid both of his hands down her body and cupped her ass cheeks. Levy tilted her head up and speared him with a pointed look as the heat from his hands seeped into her. He tried to look as innocent as he could.

"There," He grinned widely. "Problem solved."

Out of nowhere a small stone stuck Gajeel in the side of the face. The Dragon Slayer yelled in surprise and Levy was subsequently rolled off him; falling into the damp grass. The cold shocked her; the woman squealing as she covered her bare chest with her arms. She sprang up to her feet while Gajeel propped himself up on an elbow looking around, fully prepared to murder whoever tossed the stone. He couldn't see anyone else there, though. He felt around in the grass and picked up the stone he'd been hit with, frowning as he looked at the smooth black sides. He turned it over, examining it and blinking stupidly. _Stupid Dragons!_

Now standing, Levy rummaged around at their feet, plucking what remained of her tank top up. There were claw marks rimmed with blood stains all over it and it had been literally sheered in half on one side. She looked up and saw that Gajeel was now standing holding the remnants of his shirt; the torn bloodied garment had left in a similar state. Levy exchanged a sheepish look with him. She could see cuts all over his body and his torso was one enormous patchwork of bruising. The darkest purple grouping around the Dragon Slayers sides. Levy looked down at her hands. There was dried blood under her fingernails but they looked altogether normal. She could only remember snippets of what had transpired early on.

"Did I have claws? I have this vague recollection of having claws?" She murmered.

Gajeel blushed and Levy smiled wide at the look on his face.

Gajeel took a few purposeful steps toward her and brushed the back of his hand gingerly over her shoulder and Levy hissed at the sting. Looking down she stared in a morbidly detached curiosity at the cuts and bruises she was also covered in. The pair of them looked like they'd been mauled. It wasn't that far from the truth, if Levy was honest.

She didn't necessarily feel any different to before. Apart from the aching muscles. She checked her arms and her legs and back for anything unusual like scales or a tail. Anything that might outwardly reveal that she was now mated to a Dragon Slayer. Everything was as normal as she'd come to expect. She checked her teeth and found she still had the elongated canines. A huff of disappointed air left her lungs but was swallowed when she looked up to see Gajeel laugh at her. She narrowed her eyes; embarrassed and a little bit put out by the reaction.

"What?" She asked him, humorlessly.

That just made him grin wider.

"Nothin'…" He said through barely suppressed laughter. She watched his eyes closely. The quick darting of his pupil downward. Levy followed his line of sight and squealed, batting away the wet leaf that had stuck itself to her left breast. She slapped it away with far more force and vigor than would entirely be necessary and winced at the sting. An angry blush crept up her cheeks as she wrapped her arms tightly around her herself; covering her chest again.

"You're a _jerk_!" She ground out at him.

Gajeel scratched the back of his head, chuckling softly.

"You ain't wrong," He offered with a soft, sheepish smile. Levy had great difficulty keeping her frown in place when she spotted the pink tinge to his cheeks.

" _And_ a giant dork," She snorted suddenly unable to keep the laughter back.

Gajeel growled lightly, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her flush against him. Levy melted into him as he leaned forward; lightly dusting her lips with his. Her heart rate skyrocketed from the barest of contact and she felt weak in his arms. He pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against hers.

"Like you're one to talk?" He gave her a crooked smile. His eyes challenging her to say or do something else.

Before the Dragon Slayer could even contemplate the possibility of a round two with the love of his life, something large and heavy struck him in the side of the head and sent him staggering to the left. Levy grunted, taking a step back as she was hit in the face with a wall of black hair as his head whipped around.

"QUIT THROWING THINGS AT ME!" The Dragon Slayer yelled into the air, righting himself. Frantically looking around for their invisible assailant. This would be the second time in a handful of minutes that he'd been hit with something.

Something brushed Levy's elbow and she recoiled immediately before letting out a shaky breath in relief. Ossa was standing at her side holding her backpack out to her. A knowing smile on her face. Gajeel stood, picking up his own bag and glaring intensely at the woman who'd hit him with it. Ossa ignored him and brushed her fingertips over the deepest of cuts on Levy's back. The largest wound was dissecting her guild mark and still weeping the smallest traces of fresh blood.

"The others will be mostly gone in a few hours…but this one, this will need to be cleaned," The obsidian Dragon spoke, carefully giving Gajeel a scathing look. The Dragon Slayer turned away, awkwardly trying to hide the blush that was now burning its way up his neck.

Levy crouched down and pulled out some first aid supplies along with a small bottle of antiseptic and a clean top. Ossa plucked it from her hands before she could say anything, motioning for the woman to follow her. The former Dragon sat Levy down on a slab of ruined stone and fixed the Script Mages' hair up into a neat bun on the top of her head to keep any stray hairs out of the way; tying it with one of her spare bandannas. Cool fingers prodded the cut, carefully checking it's depth, before applying the disinfectant. Levy stiffened against the pain but didn't say anything about it. For someone who used to be a Dragon she clearly had practice treating Human wounds. As though sensing Levy's silent question Ossa sighed.

"We'd sometimes need to put Natsu and Gajeel at opposite ends of the valley to stop them fighting," She remarked waving her hand absentmindedly at the memory. Levy's mouth fell open and Gajeel dropped his bag. The Script mage thoughtlessly tried to turn and look at Ossa but the Woman stopped her with a hand on either side of her head; gently guiding it back to face Gajeel.

"Young Dragons are pretty resilient, and they've got good instincts that tend to stop them getting into situations where they'll be hurt. Human children are complete lunatics in comparison," She laughed heartily. "No sense of self-preservation, at _all_ ," At Gajeel's shocked, speechless expression she shrugged. "Your father and Igneel had about as much ability to treat wounds as I have to float. Grandine used magic for the serious injuries and I would take a smaller form like this to treat the minor ones. It's not necessarily good to use magic too often on young children," She added knowingly.

"What... the _fuck_ you talkin' about?" Were the words that came tumbling out of Gajeel's mouth when he finally found his voice. As far as he was aware he'd only know Natsu a few years; only since joining Fairy Tail.

"You didn't think that with only a handful of Dragons remaining in the entire world that we didn't interact with each other?" She gave Levy a pitying look. It was clear Ossa had been hoping Gajeel would have figured some stuff out on his own. Levy chose to say nothing. She'd never considered it either.

"With so few of us left we would sometimes need to meet, face to face, you know," She laughed humourlessly, taking a seat behind Levy as she applied another coating of antiseptic. "We would update each other on what Dragons we knew Acnologia had slain," She waved to the forest around them. " _This_ was the only place Igneel was willing to meet with us. He believed after my death that Acnologia had come to fear my presence here," Her expression cracked. "After all, I have no body to kill. I am in the stone. In the very mountain itself. I may be dead but that also means I cannot be killed," She looked thoughtful. "I do not think he fears this place as Igneel believed. But he was always a pragmatic man. This place is little more than a tomb."

"Acnologia...did he...?" Gajeel left the question unsaid. They'd both seen the remains of Ossa's true body in the arena.

" _And_ my hatchlings," Something black leaked from her right eye, like a tear and she wiped it away absently examining it between her fingers; a curiosity of her conjured Human body. Levy thought back to the smaller obsidian statues. How tiny they'd been in comparison to Ossa. If she could have replicated full sized Dragons, why did she give life to such minuscule imitations. The realization struck her like a punch to the gut. A mother having lost her children, her mate, alone in an empty home for a possible eternity. Levy had been right. Ossa must have been so incredibly lonely.

The obsidian Dragon gave Gajeel a soft smile, patting Levy on the head affectionately. " _Some_ of my children anyway, as long as the Dragon Slayers remain there will always be something of my legacy left," Her expression turned suddenly serious. "The power to split a soul is a skill that took me _millennia_ to master. There will never be a Human in this world or any other that will be able to replicate my magic, and while I did not give birth to you, I am the mother to all Dragon Slayers," She paused, her face morphed into one of acute, absolute torment. Gajeel knew why. Because, if she was the power behind Dragon Slayer magic, then she was the hand that had given that power to Acnologia. Inadvertently dooming her own kind to extinction and releasing a blight upon the world.

"Did you make the lacrimas?" Levy asked, sensing the suddenly dark mood and trying to steer the conversation away from it. She wasn't sure how she was going to process all this new information. Forget about breaking it to Natsu, they'd have to convene some sort of meeting with the other Dragon Slayers. She felt a headache at the thought.

"After my death, I lost the ability to pass on Dragon Magic like before. I had enough of my power to create the lacrima; capturing the remaining magic and memory from the Dragons Acnologia slew. As a way to preserve Dragon Slayer magic," She grinned widely at the thought. "Are there many?" She asked hopefully. Collecting her excitement. " I think I'd like to meet them."

"I'm fairly sure they'd probably like to meet you, too," Gajeel looked passed her thoughtfully. Eyes boring holes in the treeline. "Though, think Cobra is still in a council cell. That might be a problem,"

Ossa smiled wickedly.

"Ah yes, the Human wizard's council," Having finished with Levy's back, she stood and walked into the center of the ruins, stretching her arms over her head growling, gathering magic to herself. "Now, _there's_ a conversation I've been dreading for four hundred years,"

* * *

Notes

So, we're reaching the end of the story, just two more chapters to go now, but I kinda felt like I wanted to go out on a bang. You know, fuck it, lets do this. LOL I've also got it in my head that out of everyone, Ossa would probably take particular issue with Laxus. Uber powered knowitall is her thing, and Dragon's aren't ones to share. I haven't decided if I can work in some sort of throw down between them yet, but it would be pretty fun. I'm enjoying working some of the manga into it as well.

Again, thank you to everyone reading and reviewing and following. Your support has meant the absolute world to me! Hopefully you'll like the ending!


	27. Chapter 26

Notes

Only 1 more chapter to go. Just one and we're complete. There will of course be Gajeevy, Guest person! There's some more right here, too. :)

Oooooooh so excited! Almost done.

* * *

After they cleaned themselves up at the nearby waterfall and got dressed, Levy and Gajeel made their way back to the house where Droy was already awake and picking roots and vegetables from the gardens; intent on making a stew with the last of the game, the starting of which was already bubbling away, weaving a smell around the area that made both Levy's and Gajeel's stomachs growl. It crossed Levy's mind that both of them had missed dinner the day before.

Ossa of course had vanished _again_. Levy couldn't be entirely certain but the more frequently they saw her the quicker she seemed to drain and retreat. For the equivalent of a ghost she still had a hell of a lot of power, but interacting with them seemed to take it out of her. This of course made her final request somewhat confusing; they were to apparently prepare for a meeting on a particular date in May, about two months from now at Fairy Tail. Ossa had sounded worryingly excited. On top of gathering the remaining Dragon Slayers, Levy and Gajeel would have to report to the council and ask a representative to attend. The Dragon haunting the mountain was going to be taking a trip. When they asked why so far ahead, she told them that she needed time to 'lock up'. As much as anyone could lock up a structure with no doors, and archways the size of large cathedrals. Neither of them argued with her though they were both worried about whether or not she'd be able survive such a journey like that when just appearing to them here seemed so taxing. Gajeel didn't say anything about it out loud, although Levy could tell he was unhappy. He merely silently accepted the task Ossa had set them with no more than a grunt.

After eating and packing to leave, Levy and Gajeel sat in a quiet part of the garden together for a while in contemplation. She let her head rest easily against his shoulder while he picked absently at blades of grass at his side. Levy's sudden laughter broke the silence.

"Most women are exaggerating when they say their mother-in-law is a Dragon," Her giggle dragged a crooked grin out of Gajeel.

"Yeah, well, just be thankful she likes you," He huffed narrowing his eyes. "Hey! You listening out there?" He yelled to no one in particular, presumably to see if Ossa was still eavesdropping in on their conversations. "Your enchantments suck!" He half expected a response, namely in the form of something flying at his head but there was nothing at all. Levy missed his devious smirk. The woman squeaked when he plucked her up and sat her across his lap.

"No way to know for sure, but I think we might be alone," Gajeel's voice was all but a murmur as he leaned forward to nuzzle against her messy blue locks. He breathed deep and with each breath his hands gripped her tighter. Fingers fumbling along the waist of the shorts she was wearing. Calloused tips just grazing skin; giving her goosebumps. Levy hummed in appreciation before slowly bracing her hands against his chest and pushing back a little. Gajeel stopped, uncertainly. Unsure if he'd done something wrong or if Levy was okay. He was worried until he caught sight of her sly smile and the molten look in her eyes that turned his insides to liquid and his legs to jelly.

She stood up away from him, and while he was seated, she carefully, and ever so slowly released the button on the front of her shorts. Pale slender fingers hovered for a moment before she slipped her thumbs under the waistband. The seconds seemed to pass like minutes as a dry mouthed, red faced Gajeel watched her shimmy the shorts down off her hips. Leaving her in a clad in some very inappropriate black lacy underwear. The kind that you really wouldn't want to find yourself wearing on a long hike through a dense forest in the heat. They also happened to be the kind that the Dragon Slayer liked the best; the easy to remove, barely there kind.

"Are you hintin' at something here, Shrimp?" He gave her a crooked grin; leaning back to take in the full sight of the longest legs on a short person he'd ever seen. She was some sort of optical illusion his brain still couldn't wrap around.

She bit her bottom lip and flushed. For a second he thought it was nerves but on closer examination his nose found it to be excitement. He leaned forward, fully alert now. He was vaguely aware that she could reduce him to nothing more putty with only a look. Her fingers drew something in the air and chains appeared around his ankles as she turned and raced a few steps away. Only turning back to look at the somewhat stunned Dragon Slayer a moment later.

"Maybe, you'll need to catch me first," Then she was gone; a half-naked blur in the foliage. Not a moment later so were the chains; shattered into a thousand twisted pieces, and Gajeel was racing after her imagining all the things he was going to take his time doing with her.

For just a moment he thought he understood the purpose of the magical bond that had linked them. Levy had come to know exactly the kind of game that would get his blood rising. All the right buttons to press. The instinct to hunt. That surge of adrenaline that you couldn't get from anything else. She knew him like no one else ever had. He'd also come to know her in a way he hadn't thought possible; reading her micro-expressions like an open book.

The fact that she was fast had absolutely no bearing on when he finally caught up with her. She was small and nimble and weaved through the shrubbery with utmost care whereas he simply tore through it, eventually gaining ground. She laughed breathlessly when he finally caught an arm around her waist, stopping her and spinning her to face him. He claimed her mouth before she had a chance to speak; she'd barely caught her breath. With the show he got before she ran and the subsequent chase, he was harder than he'd ever felt in his life. Even the feel of material against his sensitive flesh was torture.

"You sure you want to do this here? Out in the woods _again_?" Gajeel forced the words out. They stumbled out of his mouth as though they caused him physical pain. Truthfully, if they did stop this right here before its natural completion, he might be in a little discomfort for some time to come.

She didn't speak instead trailing her delicate fingertips up the inside of his leg before cupping his erection tightly and giving a small squeeze. Her face framing a deceptively shy smile. The sensation caused Gajeel's body to jerk violently; his heartbeat thumping hard under his ribs. There was no Dragon magics involved this time when Levy pushed him against the nearest tree and said in the most authoritative tone her small voice could muster. "Sit down!"

Gajeel liked control. But it was clear to him at this moment that there was something incredibly attractive about how Levy was taking it. He didn't resist and instead did exactly as she'd demanded.

She straddled his lap once he was seated and let her hands fall down his chest, dragging her nails as they scored a path down to his belt which quickly found it's self undone and removed in a single fluid motion. Not content to merely observe, Gajeel brought his hand lazily up her chest to massage her breasts through the flimsy material covering them. Her previously sure hands fumbled with his pants as she involuntarily arched into his digits, moaning his name under her breath; face scrunched up and desperate for more contact.

His hard length finally came free of its trappings and unwilling to break the contact Levy simply moved the obstructive lace to the side. She hovered over him for a moment. Rolling her hips and slicking his length in the moist heat she was radiating. When she finally seated herself over him he inadvertently bit down on her shoulder to stop the unabashed mewl from coming out of his mouth. He almost yelled when she nipped his earlobe in retaliation; simultaneously giving a tentative roll of her hips. He could feel her tightening around him. He had no idea how he could have been brought so close to climax so fast but he was focusing everything he had on holding back.

She seemed to know, and was making every effort to drive him to madness. He could feel her clench down on him, hard, and was his undoing. When he came, he jerked his head back hitting the base of the tree so hard that a few leaves fell over them. Showering them in foliage. She let her head fall forward onto his chest; chuckling against his damn shuddering torso. After a moment she braced herself against him and tired to stand. Gajeel's hands locked over hers before taking her by the waist and pushing her backwards, flat; her back pressed into the grass.

"And just where do yah think you're going, gihi?" He growled to her.

* * *

Droy and Jet were sitting with bags packed back at the house. Droy had his ears covered with both hands, pale and sweating. Jet was red faced.

"Do you still hear them?" The green mage asked. Altogether unsure about whether the answer would traumatize him a second time. Considering the first sounds of the pair's incredibly loud love-making had been over two hours ago already. Which in and of itself was nothing short of terrifying. Was Gajeel trying to kill her? Where was he getting the stamina? It couldn't be normal.

"No. Thank Mavis. They should probably be back soon and we can get the hell out of here," He took back everything he'd said to them before about just getting on with it. Hushed fumblings in a sleeping bag were a welcome change to _this_. He would _not_ be going on any missions with the pair of them again. Did they even realize how loud they were?

"Hey, cheer up, Jet, could be worse?" Droy grinned. "We just earned the next few months rent _aaaand_ made it back from a successful S-class mission," It could've been worse indeed.

Jet suddenly got a peculiar look on his face. Unsure of himself.

"Hey, just a question... and you _don't_ have to answer, but, do you think Arana would shoot me down if I asked her out?" Jet asked him slightly red faced. He'd had a bit of a crush on the woman for a while but she was a pretty powerful mage. Much stronger than him. He'd never even felt like he'd have stood a chance of getting a date. Hell, he still didn't think he measured up, but if Levy and Gajeel had taught him anything it was that differences didn't matter. And nothing would ever happen if he didn't take a chance and at least ask.

"I've no idea. Suppose only one way to find out..." Droy paused. Scrunching up his face at the memory of the Mermaid Heel mage at the games. "Arana? You don't think she's a bit scary, though?" Droy wasn't a fan of spiders. He didn't hate them. But he preferred if they went about their spider related activities far, far away from him. If he'd been asked to hazard a guess as to the object of Jet's affection he wouldn't have been even close to her.

"It's the accent, isn't it," He said humorlessly and was promptly ignored.

Jet smiled, absently lost in a stray thought, the contents of which Droy was suddenly sure he wanted to hear _nothing_ about. Judging from the stupid grin on the speed mage's face. Now he was going to have to deal with three love sick fools on the way home. He pulled out his map. To hell with avoiding trains. Mission was over and the sooner he was home the better. The Dragon Slayer would just have to put up with his fussy tummy. The second entrance to the valley would leave them closer to Port Kilik train station. Three day trip, two trains and one stop over and they'd be home. He was tempted to request separate carriages on both trains.

The rustling of branches signaled the return of the noisy couple. Levy was the first one to stumble out from the trees. Her face was redder than a tomato. Hair all over the place and her tank top was inside out. She didn't walk with any obvious limp but her steps were certainly careful. Gajeel looked worse if that were possible. Half the valley's flora looked like it was presently residing in his tangled hair. He was also missing his shirt. Not dirty. Not ripped. Missing. Jet glared at him and his stupidly exaggerated muscles. Much to his own internal amusement, and completely uncharacteristic of the Dragon Slayer, Gajeel was unwilling to make eye contact.

"Lost your shirt, I see," Jet spoke, his voice monotone and even, and he heard Levy choke on air as he pressed the Dragon Slayer.

"Yeah, ehh, snagged it on, ehh, some branches or somethin'. We were in a rush so I left it," Gajeel coughed, clearing his throat. "So we should probably get going, huh?"

Jet could barely hold back his laughter.

" _Heeey_ , wait now, we're not in any rush you know. We've been waiting nearly two and a half hours and it'd only take a second to go have a look for you?" He offered, his words dripping with so much saccharine it made Gajeel want to vomit. Looking for the shirt would be pointless. He'd never even find all the pieces. Gajeel and his hearing knew before they'd even made it back that they'd been heard. The speed mage was enjoying watching him squirm.

The Dragon Slayer started growling but was cut off when a rumpled shirt hit him in the head. Droy was looking sheepish.

"It's a little big for me since I shrunk, but better than nothing," He offered Gajeel. Who promptly pulled it over his shoulders. It was a little big on him as well, but not by too much. Two shirts destroyed. One shirt too filthy to wear. There wasn't even a question about accepting. Levy giggled and Gajeel threw her a scathing look. One that said 'this is your fault, you know'.

"Thanks, Greenthumb," It wasn't often you got gratitude out of a Dragon Slayer, so Droy chose not to make a big deal out it. Even though the single word had silenced Jet's obvious mocking for the moment.

Truthfully, he only gave him the shirt because he wouldn't be able to board the train without one. Droy was going to keep that to himself, though.


	28. Epilogue

Notes

Well this is it, folks. The end of the story. This is one of those things where no matter how many times I rewrite it, or read it, or change it, it's just not going to be right and I'm gonna have to face that. I think a part of me just doesn't want to finish it.

It's been a heck of a trip though. The messages and the reviews. You guys are so utterly fucking amazing and I'm the luckiest person in the world to be getting your feedback.

This is a bit of a beastly epilogue. I mean, BEAST! But I'm hoping to close off a number of little loose threads and leave you guys somewhere happy.

*goes to cry*

Oh, and the next Gajeevy story I'm writing is a sort of horror called 'The Walled Garden'. And I'm hoping to have that first chapter up by mid March.

Much Love,

Moonbeam.

* * *

There was an uneasy silence between the gathered Dragon Slayers that made Wendy rather uncomfortable. It wasn't as if they couldn't get along if they wanted to, but today was a peculiar day. Sting and Rogue had been easy to convince. As the Sabertooth guildmaster Sting had no problems making the time and Rogue was just so curious he _had_ to turn up. Laxus was a different cup of tea altogether. He'd been on an extended mission with the Thunder Legion when Makarov had contacted him and hadn't been entirely happy about having to drop everything to return to the guild. His team mates wouldn't necessarily have an issue completing the job without him, but it rankled something in him to be summoned like that. He'd come a long way from the person he was but there were certain parts of his personality that just remained regardless. Being told what to do would never sit right with him.

"So, what exactly are we all expecting here?" Laxus sounded like he'd have preferred to have been in the deepest bowels of hell, rather than there. What would be the difference? He'd still be hot, sweaty and probably bored out of his mind.

They'd gathered on a hill overlooking the guild. The building itself was much too crowded for the kind of first meeting they wanted, and while the Council representative, Mest, was still in the hall, they were only going to get one shot at privacy. Although, while Ossa had said to be there in the morning, she was currently, astoundingly late.

"When she'd appear in the valley it was from the ground. She'd kinda bubble up and take shape. I don't know, honestly," Levy shrugged. Equally as clueless as any of them.

All the Dragon Slayers with the exception of Cobra stood restlessly waiting. The council had made the decision not to release him. Not even at Makarov's humble request. As far as they were concerned he'd surrendered himself once and they weren't entirely certain it would go the same way a second time. To be fair. They were probably right. The remaining Dragon Slayers had literally nothing to go on bar Levy and Gajeel's word that anything would even show up. Who could say that they hadn't gotten the dates mixed up or that Dragons didn't have their own unique calendar?

Gajeel tapped Levy on the shoulder with shaking hands. The woman looked at him confusedly before following his eyes. The rest of the Dragon Slayers followed suit. Eyes fixed to the tiny black speck heading their way.

The sun blinded all but Natsu and Sting who glared open mouthed. Their eyes too used to bright lights to be very effected by the sun's rays.

"She's not coming from the ground…"Natsu whispered. Sting couldn't even form words.

The black speck grew closer, and larger. It was a Dragon. A spinning, aerial rolling, nose diving Dragon.

"What the fuck am I looking at here?" Laxus choked out. There were a number of concerns about the implications of a Dragon landing just outside of Magnolia. The people would be able to see her soon enough and there was absolutely no way in hell that Mest was going to stay in the guild hall, or the rest of the guild in the guild hall at that, with a Dragon sitting on the hill looking down at them. Where all Dragons this fucking crazy or did they generally not think these things through?

Levy was tugging worriedly on Gajeel's shirt; mouth opening and closing. Clearly concerned about the same things.

Gajeel was confused by a whole manner of other stuff.

"Why the hell is she flyin' like that?" Were the only words he could come out with.

Natsu rubbed his hands eagerly. Chuckling to himself. Rogue muttering "We'll see soon enough…" under his breath.

When she was close enough that they could see the glint of the sun on her obsidian scales she nosedived one last time, this time directly for them. Gajeel was the only one of the Dragon Slayers that didn't bother taking a step back. He knew very well what she was doing and it wasn't impressive when his father did it either. At the last minute, wings so large they blocked out the entire horizon, spread out and halted her fall. Her laughter shook the ground under their feet.

"Oh, it's been too long since I flew," They were the first words they heard as she landed carefully, wings retracting into her body slowly. Dragon Slayer hearing was good and no one, not even Levy failed to hear the muffled sounds of yelling. "Almost forgot," Was the second comment before she opened her front claw and out scrambled a dizzy, nauseated, screaming Cobra, still wearing the clothing he'd been given by the council when they'd locked him up.

"YOU'RE FUCKING CRAZY! CRAZY!" He tried to stand but his legs gave out, not capable of doing much beyond keeping him upright on his knees while he began heaving the meagre contents of his stomach into the grass.

The Dragon lowered her body till it was almost flush with the soil and inclined her head toward him. Flashing a set of glistening teeth.

"Little weak Dragon Slayers should be careful when mouthing off to _actual_ Dragons," She hissed somewhat menacingly. Cobra didn't answer her. Choosing instead to crawl away as far as he could.

"So, you were late cause you were bustin' Cobra out of prison?" The logic didn't surprise Gajeel at all. She _had_ said she wanted them all present. Levy was having a hard time keeping the laughter at bay. Everyone else was just too busy trying to wrap their heads around it. Battling a Dragon didn't really leave you much time to actually examine them. She dwarfed most of the ones they'd fought.

"Among other things," She answered cryptically. No one was going to broach the subject of what other things those were, not right now, at least. "I didn't believe that the council member I requested would object to taking him back once we were done here?"

No one could argue.

"Speaking of which, Dragon lands outside of Magnolia I'd have at least expected the teleporter up here quicker. Mest must be slipping," Laxus' smirked to himself.

"And the larger one speaks," Her eyes focused in on Laxus and he tensed. Unable to even force himself to relax under the sudden scrutiny. And he was desperately trying. "From the barely concealable sneer on your face am I to assume this one is Laxus?" She looked disdainfully between Cobra and the lightning mage. Her glare was frightening. "I'm not so sure I would have chosen either of you for the lacrima I made,"

The comment was so stunningly blunt that it silenced almost every one. Everyone but Laxus. Now too wound up to stop himself.

"Well, it's a good thing it wasn't up to you, then," He responded sharply.

At his right, Natsu stepped forward, brandishing a flaming fist at her.

"Quit picking on Laxus!"

She snorted a laugh and the air that blasted out seemed to put everyone but Wendy off-balance.

"And the problem child speaks," She whispered under her breath. "Put the fists _away_ , Natsu, I'm not here to fight."

She paused a moment, head titling in the direction of the guild hall, sniffing the wind, before she lifted a front claw up. She held it suspended in the air, moving it from side to side for a brief, confusing spell before coming to some sort of decision on where to place it.

Mest had barely materialized a second before the foot came down and pinned him to the ground. The air left his lungs in a panicked squeak.

"You council members are _still_ so unbelievably _rude_ ," She snarled in Mest's face and he blanched. Unable to teleport away, and from the shuddering of the air around his uniform, the man was desperately trying. "If I'd wanted your presence at this family reunion…" She drew up to her full height and spread her wings before opening her jaws wide, sucking in air. The sun completely obscured by darkness. "…THEN I'D HAVE ASKED FOR IT!" She roared skyward. Had she been facing him he'd have been dead with the concussive force of her voice alone. The ground under them shook with the thunderous feel of it.

She took in a calming breath and the scales on her body began melting together. Her body reforming and shrinking. The obsidian falling in on itself as she returned to the form that Gajeel and Levy were most familiar with. The Human body was far less terrifying than the Dragon but there was a look on her face that Gajeel and Levy had never seen the last time they'd met.

She plucked Mest from the ground and held him a solid foot from the grass.

"Put me down, I'm a mem…." He began nervously before she shook him to silence him.

"If you _finish_ that sentence..." She smiled in warning. "...the next errand I run, will be to turn your council headquarters into a smouldering pile of rubble," She hissed and Mest had the good sense to comply and promptly shut up. Her gaze flicked to Natsu momentarily, the fire Dragon Slayer was grinning stupidly. She rolled her eyes in exasperation before putting Mest down, letting him back up. "I'll be going down to the guild hall to meet with you soon enough. Now _leave_ ,"

And leave Mest did. Stretching her new arms over her head she gave a cursory check for the presence of a tail or anything else that might be amiss, but she seemed satisfied with her new body.

She held her arms out toward the script mage and enveloped her in a warm hug that made Gajeel snort.

"You're looking well, Levy. How are Jet and Droy?" The sudden casualness after the tense few minutes before were dizzying.

"They're pretty good," She was cautious. Suddenly left wondering why Ossa was here at all making small talk. It was a lot of trouble just for a family reunion. Especially since they could have arranged to go meet _her_. They'd have been guaranteed privacy then.

"So?" Gajeel asked shrugging. There was a burning question everyone was currently trying to work out a good way of asking.

"Well, as different as Human and Dragon customs sometimes are, there are things that will always be common between the two," She paused, suddenly, uncharacteristically nervous. "Family are generally present for funerals. And I think mine is long passed due," She smiled at Wendy, offering her a friendly wave. "And I hear that Fairy Tail throws the best parties around."

* * *

Almost no one noticed Ossa at the guild hall. Maybe they were expecting some sort of Dragon-like creature complete with horns and claws. Maybe just someone taller, even. Ossa in Human form was altogether unremarkable. She didn't project her presence or announce herself. Instead she slid by most without a second glance and disappeared after Makarov and Mest into the back office. Erza and Mira's eyes following her path diligently.

The Dragon Slayers took a table together while she did whatever it was she needed the council for. There was still an uneasy silence between them all. Cobra in particular looked like he'd have probably preferred to stay back in his cell. Sting quirked an eyebrow at Gajeel, bemusedly.

"So, your Mom seems nice?"

Gajeel burst out laughing and just like that the tension between them all fizzled out. Levy gave him a warning look, silently asking him to behave before making her excuses and leaving them to it. Gajeel kept an eager eye on her as she weaved her way around their guild mates straight for Lucy who was busying herself with some job flyers.

"Times like this I wish I could get drunk..." Cobra muttered to himself. Natsu clapped him on the back.

"Hey! Cheer up. You've a day off! I'm sure there's something you want to do?"

Across the bar Cobra and Kinana shared a momentary glance that was missed by everyone but Gajeel; the only man at the table currently overly familiar with _exactly_ that type of look. Kinana glanced away, smiling and slightly red faced, but Cobra didn't. Only a faint twitch at the corner of his lips as any indication that there was something more than impassive disdain present.

" _Sure_ ," Was the only thing that came out of the poison Dragon Slayer's mouth. Gajeel reigned in the almost overwhelming urge to mock him publicly. He _knew_ it was a blatant lie, and the look Cobra threw him, more than likely hearing his inner dialogue, spoke volumes about just how sizable that lie actually was.

Wendy patted the man's arm comfortingly. She was still too young to be drinking and not even a table full of Dragon Slayers would risk Mira's wrath by offering the girl anything stronger than milk.

"Some party this is," Laxus drawled, far from enthusiastically. Almost half the Dragon Slayers weren't going to be drinking. Wendy and Cobra had solid excuses. Rogue just didn't drink. What exactly were they going to do for fun anyway?

* * *

In the back office, Mest eyed Ossa with nothing short of utter frustration. Makarov was perpetually on the fence between plain drunk and engagingly tipsy, having long since given up on any kind of mediation that didn't involve alcohol.

"You can't expect the council to give up on the temple. Even if you got the current chairs to agree to it, they aren't going to be members forever. There's too much power there for them to ignore," He paused, choosing his words carefully. "And from what you're saying you aren't going to be in a position to defend it indefinitely," The subject of her visit had already been broached.

"Is that all it is, then?" She flashed him a fang. The look in her eyes spoke of a breakthrough but Mest wasn't seeing it. "They just want the magic there, they aren't interested in the valley or the buildings?" She asked him.

"Why would the council care about empty ruins?" He deadpanned.

Ossa stood and poured two mugs of ale from the barrel on Makarov's table. She passed one to Mest who took it only because it was the polite thing to do.

"Then, I agree, the council can do what it wants then with what's left of the temple. It's only the valley I'm concerned with," Mest did a double-take.

"Wait, what?" He sputtered.

"We've, well, _I've_ been arguing for the last hour over the _valley_. I just wanted to leave the area to the Dragon Slayers. With legal paperwork and all of that Human nonsense. As for the magic your council is after? That power is right here in front of you. It took it all to get me here," She admitted somberly. "And it _won't_ last."

Makarov sobered instantly. Mest was too young to understand but he'd seen enough winters to empathize. When it all came down to it, the things that mattered the most were never rooted in the material or in concepts as base as power. Family were what was ultimately the most important. He'd thought it was magic the Dragon was fighting so hard to keep control over. It was actually something far more long lasting.

"The power? All of it? It's gone?" The teleporter coughed out.

"Only the magical kind," She smiled wistfully.

Mest sighed, deflated.

"I can't authorize something like this myself...but if you're telling the truth, then I'm sure they'll agree," The relief of having reached some sort of conclusion to this whole thing made him laugh. "They won't be happy, but I doubt they'll fight over some trees,"

"That's good to know," She rubbed her hands together eagerly. "Now, I've missed three fights in my honor already, _at my own funeral_ , mind you, so if you don't mind I'd rather not miss any more." She chuckled eagerly.

* * *

Gajeel clutched his left arm to his chest tightly. Of course it had been Natsu that roped them into a little mini tournament when it became apparent that alcohol wasn't going to be much of a factor in the celebrations. It had started out well enough, Wendy had even joined in and in a shock twist that the Iron Dragon Slayer still couldn't quite believe, she'd taken out Natsu, first round. A sharp torrent of air and Natsu span till he puked. If anyone was laughing about the smallest of the Dragon Slayers, they weren't afterward. There were green, pale faces all-round.

In typical fashion the fights had descended into carnage pretty quickly. Wendy had forfeited her place in the tournament in favor of some kiwi juice indoors with Lily and Carla, leaving the rest of them to brawl it out.

And brawl they did.

Levy took to the sidelines to cheer Gajeel on while Lucy did her best to console Natsu over his defeat. It had been going pretty well for the Iron Dragon Slayer up until Laxus. When it came down to pure brute strength and unadulterated power, the man was really something else. Gajeel had absolutely no problems in saying that out loud. They kept the magic to a minimum for the sake of the town and in the fist fight that followed, Laxus had managed to dislocate Gajeel's arm at the shoulder. Levy had been on the scene within moments with a solid script conjured sling for him until Wendy could found.

"That's it, run along with your little _friend_ ," Laxus laughed, the few drinks he'd had between matches making him a little mouthier than usual.

Gajeel ignored him but Levy on the other hand went cherry red. Beyond indignant over the comment. She couldn't quite be sure about what irritated her the most about it; the remark about her height or the jab about her being his _friend_. Levy squeezed his hand looking for some kind of guidance. They hadn't exactly made it public knowledge or announced it to the guild or anything since they'd returned, and even if they had, Laxus hadn't necessarily been around to hear about their relationship saga. Gajeel took Levy's hand in support. It didn't matter to him who or how many people knew.

"You're such a fucking asshole, Laxus!" The small script mage blurted out and Natsu sat up out of Lucy's lap. A goofy smile on his face. It didn't matter who was fighting, but Natsu was on board with it.

"Those are angry words coming from a little squirt," Laxus snapped back.

Sting and Rogue exchanged looks at the ridiculousness of the situation. Cobra, who was sitting nursing some bruised ribs was focusing intently. The ability to hear someone's inner thoughts didn't necessarily explain much when that person was Levy McGarden and her inner monologue involved her repeating over and over again how she was going to make Laxus eat dirt. Her thought process was far from the simple and direct kind he was accustomed to dealing with. Listening in gave him a bit of a headache and answered absolutely nothing.

" _That_ sounds like a challenge," Ossa slithered from the crowd that had gathered outside to watch the fights. Her head fixed on Levy and _almost_ without a second thought, because truthfully, there was a single moment of hesitation, the small woman pulled her tank top over her head and handed it to Gajeel. Standing in shorts and a sports bra she looked tiny in comparison to Laxus. Ossa grinned, a wild look in her eyes as she pierced the lightning mage with a look that promised destruction. He didn't back down from the glare this time.

"If you want to fight me yourself, then _fight_ me. Instead of throwing little girls in front of me," He growled. If it were even possible for Levy to get any angrier she couldn't tell. She passed a confused Gajeel her sandals.

"If I fought you, boy, I'd kill you. And your grandfather has been so _lovely_ to me," Ossa sneered. She looked completely serious and it gave Laxus pause.

"Gajeel, I really don't want to hurt her," The youngest Dreyar was getting desperate now. Having backed himself into a corner and now faced with two equally unappealing prospects. Defeat and humiliate the woman or defeat, humiliate and seriously injure her.

"How dare you!" Levy snarled before Gajeel could say a word, and the sound was something that instantly grabbed everyone's attention. "Like I'm not even here."

The first attack came completely out of the blue; the fist sized glob of mud striking Laxus square in the face, making him cough and Ossa blurt out an obnoxious "HAH!". It was clear by the look on his face that the lightning Dragon Slayer was now currently convinced that Levy had a death wish.

He saw her fingers move at her sides moments before she cast another mud script his way; dodging his head to the side out of it's path as it sailed by. Lightning crackled around him as he set his face into a mask of indifference.

Not entirely certain with how far he was willing to push this, he countered with a bolt of lightning, striking the ground in front of Levy like a warning shot. She took a hurried step backwards away from it. The hairs on her body prickling from the close discharge.

"I'm not going to go easy on you. I don't care that you're small or that your crush is standing watching you. If you wanna fight, then we're gonna fight,"

Somewhere in the background noise, Gray could be heard muttering _"Oh, boy,"_ while people hushed each other. The air growing quiet.

When it came down to pure speed, Laxus was easily one of the fastest in the guild. If he threw a punch your way, you were more than likely going to be hit before you could dodge. It was the same with everything he did in a fight. Blink and you miss it. Before anyone could even yell out a warning to Levy, Laxus was nothing more than a speeding bolt heading her way. Gajeel sucked in a breath when he realized that Levy wasn't moving. Wasn't even making an attempt to get out of the path of his lightning.

The blur heading Levy's way suddenly diverted off to the side where there was a clang and a muffled 'ooof'; Laxus having collided with a lightning rod that wasn't there before. The metal pole standing about eight foot high and buried deep into the ground. He rubbed his forehead quizzically trying to work out how she'd made it as fast as she had. A genuine smile broke his face as he regarded the script mage in a new and sudden light. He shrugged off his coat and tossed it out of the makeshift arena. If she could redirect his lightning magic so quickly it would just be easier to take control of the fight another way. It certainly wasn't going to be the boring affair he'd initially believed.

He held up his fists and smirked when Levy did the same, mirroring his stance. Before she smiled evilly at him and he found himself having to dodge to the side to avoid the clear paste that she threw at him. He rolled to his feet and growled, wiping his hands on his shirt, trying to clean the splatter away only to find his fingers glued to the material. The man had a wild look in his eyes as he pulled his fingers away from the material, ripping an enormous hole the fabric.

"I liked this shirt..." He deadpanned, amid Gajeel's paint peeling laughter and the stunned silence of the growing audience. After all, when was anyone going to be able to say they watched a fight between Laxus Dreyar and Levy McGarden and it wasn't a completely one-sided thing.

Somewhat unaccustomed to the methods and style of fighting, Laxus edged himself closer to the script mage. The moment he could put his hands on her was going to be the moment the fight ended. Unfortunately, she wasn't making it easy. With just a few movements of her fingers she'd turned the ground into a mud ring. Being barefoot and small, Levy made quick work of the mud while Laxus found himself struggling as his boots sank in, slowing him down. Now constantly on the defensive as she threw _glue,_ of all things, at him.

Having had maybe a little more alcohol than he should have and finding himself at a truly unfathomable disadvantage, the lightning mage began generating more and more electricity; flooding the ring with crackling light. Levy had to slow her movements to avoid them, eventually having no other choice but to dot the ground between them with with more rods to draw the energy away.

Now utterly fed up with chasing her around, Laxus took the opportunity to finally attack again, using the rods as relays to get to her. She was stunned when he appeared in front of her a moment later to land a solid blow across her temple. The dull sound earning yelps and cries from the audience as Levy sailed through the air several feet before stopping in a pile of limp limbs.

Laxus let out a breath, unhappily trying to rid himself of the feeling of having done something wrong. He looked to Gajeel. Maybe to gauge the man's reaction or see if there was going to be some sort of apology that would be acceptable for this. Gajeel's face was completely expressionless for a moment before he pointed a finger at Laxus and smiled smugly. It took the man a second to realize he wasn't actually pointing at him, but behind him. The foot that connected squarely between his legs sent every single molecule of air out of his lungs. Absolute agony soaking up all the oxygen and sending him to his knees, utterly weak.

He rolled himself on his back and looked up at the script mage, who was standing over him, smirking, the area he'd struck on her head was covered in iron scales. Covered in _Gajeel's_ iron scales. Patches now also covering her arms and legs. That had been a very solid kick, and with iron covering her foot he was under no illusions why. Laxus laughed, unable to wrap his head around it but suddenly certain he walked into something he should have known better than to walk into. There were clearly things he didn't know and quite probably should, regarding the situation. He'd been so angry about being called back to the guild he hadn't considered that there might be more going on. He climbed to his feet and dusted himself off. His pride was about the only thing really wounded, but he'd let her have that. Hell, she deserved the win.

"I surrender," he held up his hands in defeat. "I've clearly been missing a few things cause I have absolutely no idea what just happened," He sighed, wiping the mud from his eyes. "And I think I'm feeling a bit like a wanker right now."

Lucy raced forward and exchanged a high-five with Levy who stuck out her tongue at Laxus cheekily. Gajeel was so smug the aura could have been classified as its own entity.

Lily landed on Gajeel's shoulder and scoffed openly.

"Dragon slayer magic seems a lot like cheating to me," He muttered to Gajeel out of ear shot of the rest. The Dragon Slayer smiled.

"That's generally what losers say!" He quipped. Lily narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, that's it! Wendy is going to fix your arm and then Levy is going to need to drag you home on a stretcher when we're done," The Exceed grinned.

There were cheers all round.

* * *

At the end of the day there were some tears shed for Ossa that really couldn't have been explained with reason. The ones to cry the loudest and longest weren't the Dragon Slayers; it wasn't Levy or Jet or Droy, one of which had been seen sneaking off with his new girlfriend periodically through the day to Droy's exasperation and Gajeel's teasing. No, the unexplained tears came from Lucy and Mira, Erza and Juvia, from ordinary members who had absolutely no connection to her other than the obvious; Gajeel, Natsu and Wendy were family, and she was theirs. A sort of honorary Fairy Tail mother.

By midnight the obsidian form she was walking around in was beginning to crumble; her skin returning to the stone she'd crafted it from. And if Levy had of had any hopes of her seeing morning with them, it was long gone. Having already witnessed his father's passing, Gajeel made himself scarce toward the end. Dragon's didn't necessarily do the mushy stuff he said and he'd already made his goodbyes. Ossa was happy enough with that. While the remainder of the Dragon Slayers slept or continued to drink into the night, Ossa sat with Levy in a quiet corner outside, shaded from the moonlight by the summer leaves. In a lot of ways Levy and Gajeel had started out as orphans, but for tonight at least she felt differently. Levy and Ossa had a lot of things in common, oddly enough. They both had a love of learning and were avid puzzle fans. They had a love of things that could grow and were beautiful. After hours of talking about their lives and world histories, otherwise lost to the ages, Levy felt close to the woman. Close enough to feel the pang of sadness at the idea that this would be the first, last, and only time they would get to do this.

"Oh, I have something for you!" Ossa remarked suddenly, catching Levy off-guard. The woman already growing tired. The long day having caught up with her. "It's not much," The stone woman clenched her fist tightly and when it opened there was a small chain at its center. A tear drop piece of obsidian no larger than a thumbnail attached to that. "Its just a little thing. To remember me. This way you can keep something of me with you."

Levy took the chain and held it in her hands for several seconds of silence before she realized she'd begun crying. Small, shaking sobs that left her trembling in the cold.

Wordlessly, Ossa wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her down. Letting Levy's head rest in her lap. With one hand stroking her blue curls and the other falling over her waist to rest on the woman's stomach, she sang Levy to sleep. The words were so old the script mage couldn't even begin to identify the language but the melody was beautiful and her magic carried the sound without any faults or tremors; sleep becoming impossible to fight. While Levy slept, Ossa's body hardened, and by morning when Gajeel came to retrieve the script mage, the former Dragon was nothing more than a statue, sitting in the guild hall's garden, peacefully staring up at the sky.

Gajeel traced the statue's cheek, lightly, with the back of his hand before picking Levy up. With the small woman tucked up in his arms, Gajeel carried her back through the empty streets of Magnolia as the sun was rising. She burrowed up against him, drooling a little more than usual from the angle of her head and the movement, which only made him laugh to himself.

When he reached the front door to their house he paused. Adjusting Levy's weight against him while he considered how to get in; Ossa having left the enormous iron doors from the arena, the ones his father had made, sitting in his front garden.

 _"Fucking Dragons."_


End file.
